Measured fill water dispenser for refrigerator freezer

• US 7,201,005 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Fischer, Marcus R., Boarman, Patrick J., Harmon, Daryl L., Voglewede, Ronald L., Kicklighter, Bradley L., Wilson, Gary W. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai; William E.
• Application Number:
  US10/861,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20050268624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 62125-131, 62340-356, 62389-400, 222/146.6
• US Class Current: 62/126
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/124 the flow being started or stopped by means actuated by the vessel to be filled, e.g. by switches, weighing
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/126 Water cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/00 Apparatus for measuring by volume and delivering fluids or fluent solid materials, not provided for in the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/003 using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence

Abstract

A water dispenser for a refrigerator freezer having a water dispensing control including a measured fill mode of operation in which the water dispenser dispenses a predetermined amount of water and a manual fill mode of operation. The water dispensing control allows user selection of the units of measure, the type of container being filled and selection of the amount to be dispensed. A user display can display the selections and can display the amount dispensed in real time.

Claims

1. A refrigerator freezer having a water dispenser from a source of water comprising:

a user accessible dispenser housing including a spout; and

a water dispensing control having a measured fill mode of operation in which the water dispenser dispenses user set amount of water through the spout and a manual fill mode of operation in which the water dispenser dispenses water through the spout as long as the water dispenser is activated including;

a fill mode selector;

a water valve connected to the source of water;

a valve control connected to the valve and to the water dispenser control;

a water dispensing actuator connected to the water dispensing control; and

a user interface control connected to the valve control comprising a user interface having one or more user operable selectors for a user to set the amount of water to be dispensed in the measured fill mode.

2. The refrigerator freezer of claim 1 wherein the water dispensing control includes a water flow sensor connected to the valve control and the user interface control includes a user interface display and wherein the water dispensing control displays the amount of water dispensed on the user interface display in the manual fill mode.

3. The refrigerator freezer of claim 2 wherein the user can select the units of measure for the amount of water dispensed.

4. The refrigerator freezer of claim 1 further including a user interface display connected to the user interface control.

5. The refrigerator freezer of claim 4 wherein the fill mode selector is one of the user operable selectors on the user interface.

6. The refrigerator freezer of claim 4 wherein one of the user operable selectors is a units selector, and wherein the units of measure selections include one or more of cups, ounces, liters and coffee cup quantities of water.

7. The refrigerator freezer of claim 6 wherein the user interface control displays the selected unit of measure on the user interface display.

8. The refrigerator freezer of claim 4 wherein one of the user operable selectors is a container selector and wherein the container selections include coffee pot, water bottle, custom, pitcher, favorite and preset.

9. The refrigerator freezer of claim 8 wherein the user operable selectors include a units selector and increase and decrease selectors wherein user selection of the amount of water dispensed in the measured fill mode includes operation of the increase or decrease selectors.

10. The refrigerator freezer of claim 9 wherein the user interface control displays the selected container and the amount of water to be dispensed into the selected container and the amount dispensed is displayed on the user interface display.

11. The refrigerator freezer of claim 1 wherein the dispenser housing includes the user interface, and the water dispensing actuator includes a press to fill selector on the user interface.

12. The refrigerator freezer of claim 11 wherein a momentary operation of the press to fill selector initiates dispensing of the set amount of water in the measured fill mode.

13. A refrigerator freezer having a water dispenser from a source of water comprising:

a user accessible dispenser housing including a spout; and

a water dispensing control having a measured fill mode of operation in which the water dispenser dispenses a predetermined amount of water through the spout and a manual fill mode of operation in which the water dispenser dispenses water through the spout as long as the water dispenser is activated including;

a fill mode selector;

a water valve connected to the source of water;

a valve control connected to the valve and to the water dispenser control; and

a water dispensing actuator connected to the water dispensing control, wherein the water dispensing control includes user pausing of water dispensing in the measured fill mode by operation of the water dispensing actuator.

14. The refrigerator freezer of claim 13 wherein the dispenser housing includes a paddle located adjacent the spout and arranged to be engaged by a container inserted in the dispenser housing under the spout, and the water dispensing actuator includes a switch operated by the paddle when a container is inserted into the housing under the spout, and user pausing in the measured fill mode includes moving the container out of engagement with the paddle.

15. The liquid dispenser of claim 13 wherein the dispenser housing includes a user interface and the water dispensing actuator includes a press to fill selector on the user interface, and user pausing in the measured fill mode includes pressing the press to fill button.

16. An ice and water dispenser for a refrigerator freezer comprising;

a dispenser housing in the freezer door including a water spout, an ice chute;

a refrigerated water container connected to the spout;

an ice maker and ice dispenser in the freezer compartment positioned to provide ice pieces to the chute;

a dispenser control having a measured fill mode of operation in which the ice and water dispenser dispenses a user set amount of water through the spout and a manual fill mode of operation in which the ice and water dispenser dispenses water through the spout as long as the dispenser is activated including;

a user interface control comprising a user interface having one or more user operable selectors for a user to set the amount of water to be dispensed in the measured fill mode;

a fill mode selector;

a valve connected to the water container;

a valve control connected to the user interface control and to the valve;

a water flow sensor connected to the valve control;

a water dispensing actuator connected to the user interface control; and

an ice dispensing actuator connected to the user interface control.

17. The ice and water dispenser of claim 16 wherein the water dispenser actuator includes a press to fill button on the user interface and the ice dispenser actuator includes a press to dispense button on the user interface.

18. The ice and water dispenser of claim 17 wherein the water dispenser actuator also includes a paddle located in the dispenser housing adjacent the spout and a user can activate water dispensing by pressing a container against the paddle or by pressing the press to fill button.

19. The ice and water dispenser of claim 17 wherein the ice dispenser actuator also includes a paddle located in the dispenser housing adjacent the chute and a user can activate ice dispensing by pressing a container against the paddle or by pressing the press to dispense button.

20. The ice and water dispenser of claim 16 wherein the refrigerator freezer includes a refrigeration control that senses the temperature in the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment and the user interface includes a user interface display and the user interface control communicates with the refrigeration control and that displays the freezer compartment and refrigerator compartment temperatures on the user interface display.

21. The ice and water dispenser of claim 20 wherein one or more of the user operable selectors on the user interface allow the user to increase or decrease the selected temperature for the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.

22. The ice and water dispenser of claim 16 wherein the dispenser control dispenses a predetermined amount of water to the ice maker to begin an ice making cycle.

23. An ice and water dispenser for a refrigerator freezer comprising;

a dispenser housing in the freezer door including a water spout, an ice chute and a user interface including one or more user operable selectors;

a refrigerated water container connected to the spout;

an ice maker and ice dispenser in the freezer compartment positioned to provide ice pieces to the chute;

a dispenser control having a measured fill mode of operation in which the ice and water dispenser dispenses a predetermined amount of water through the spout and a manual fill mode of operation in which the ice and water dispenser dispenses water through the spout as long as the dispenser is activated including;

a user interface control connected to the user interface to provide user selection of the amount of water dispensed in the measured fill mode;

a fill mode selector;

a valve connected to the water container;

a valve control connected to the user interface control and to the valve;

a water flow sensor connected to the valve control;

a water dispensing actuator connected to the user interface control; and

an ice dispensing actuator connected to the user interface control;

wherein the user interface includes a user interface display screen and the dispenser control includes a time of day and date function that displays the time of day and date on the user interface display screen when the user interface control displays a home screen or when time of day is selected by a user, and wherein the dispenser control further includes monitoring power interruption and the time of day and date function includes a backup power supply, wherein the dispenser control measures the duration of the power interruption by storing the time of a reference clock in the dispenser control and calculating a duration in hours, and displays a power interruption message on the user display after power is restored advising the user that power has been interrupted and the duration of the power interruption.

24. The ice and water dispenser of claim 23 wherein the short nuisance power interruptions are ignored.

25. The ice and water dispenser of claim 23 wherein the user interface control further includes an audible signal generator and the user interface control produces an audible signal with the power interruption display.

26. The ice and water dispenser of claim 23 wherein the power interruption message further advises the user of the maximum temperature reached in the refrigerator freezer by reading the refrigerator temperature at the time the power is restored.

27. The ice and water dispenser of claim 23 wherein the user interface control further locks out the dispenser controls until the user acknowledges the power interruption.