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

• US 7,389,895 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Inventors: Crisp, Harry Lee III
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAAWAT, MUSSA A
• Application Number:
  US11/036,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 220/613, 220/916, 220/612, 220/611, 222/94, 222/95, 222/386.5, 222/327
• US Class Current: 222/484
• 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 refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the refrigerator including the beverage dispensing apparatus and at least one valve engager having a gear, the gear having a plurality of teeth, the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister comprising:

a body having a plurality of portions, the portions of the body including;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity sized to contain a volume of syrup, the volume being sufficient to be used to produce a plurality of servings of a beverage; and

(b) a plurality of ends connected to the wall, including at least a first end and a second end, the first end defining at least one first opening, the second end defining at least one second opening, the second end of the body having a plurality of threads adjacent to the second opening in the body, at least one of the portions of the body including a refrigerator engagement portion;

a gas inlet valve coupled to the first end of the body communicating with the first opening in said first end; and

a cap coupled to the second end of the body, the cap including;

(a) a connection member coupled to the second end of said body, the connection member including an interior wall having a threaded portion engagable with the threads of the second end of said body,

(b) an exterior grip portion having a plurality of protrusions, and

(c) a drink supply outlet valve configured to communicate with the second opening of the second end of the body, the drink supply outlet valve having;

(i) a liquid passage member coupled to said interior threaded portion along an axis, the liquid passage member defining an outlet; and

(ii) a rotatable member coupled to the liquid passage member, the rotatable member being;

(x) rotatable about the axis;

(y) spaced along said axis axially away from said connection member; and

(z) movable between a plurality of positions along the axis, one of the positions being closer to said connection member than another one of the positions, the rotatable member having a plurality of teeth configured to mesh with the teeth of the gear when the gear is engaged with the rotatable member.

2. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup 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 refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 2, wherein the rotatable member includes an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of gear teeth.

4. A refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the refrigerator including the beverage dispensing apparatus and at least one valve engager having a first gear, the first gear having a plurality of teeth, the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister comprising:

a body having a plurality of portions, the portions of the body including;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity configured to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply, the volume being sufficient to be used to produce a plurality of servings of a beverage; and

(b) a plurality of ends connected to the wall, including at least a first end and a second end, the first end defining at least one first opening, the second end defining at least one second opening, the second end of the body having a plurality of threads adjacent to the second opening in the body, at least one of the portions of the body including a refrigerator engagement portion;

a gas inlet valve coupled to the first end of the body communicating with the first opening in said first end;

a cap coupled to the second end of the body, the cap including;

(a) a connection member having an interior wall having a threaded portion engagable with the threads of the second end of the body, the connection member being coupled to the second end of the body adjacent to the second opening in said second end;

(b) an exterior grip portion having a plurality of protrusions; and

(c) a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the connection member, the drink supply outlet valve having;

(i) a liquid passage member coupled to said threaded portion of said connection member along an axis, the liquid passage member defining an outlet; and

(ii) a rotatable member coupled to the liquid passage member, the rotatable member being;

(x) rotatable about the axis;

(y) spaced along said axis axially away from said connection member; and

(z) movable between a plurality of positions along the axis, one of the positions being closer to said connection member than another one of the positions, the rotatable member defining a second gear, the second gear having a plurality of teeth configured to mesh with the teeth of the first gear when the first gear is engaged with the second gear.

5. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 4, 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.

6. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 5, 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.

7. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 5, wherein the rotatable member includes an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of gear teeth.

8. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 4, wherein the connection member has an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of ridges.

9. A refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the refrigerator including the beverage dispensing apparatus and at least one valve engager having a first gear rotatable about a first axis, the first gear having a plurality of teeth, the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister comprising:

a body having a plurality of portions, the portions of the body including;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity configured to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply, the volume being sufficient to be used to produce a plurality of servings of a beverage;

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

(c) a second end connected to the wall, the first end defining at least a first opening, the second end defining at least a second opening, the second end of the body having a plurality of threads adjacent to the second opening in the body, at least one of the portions of the body including a refrigerator engagement portion;

a gas inlet valve coupled to the first end of the body communicating with the first 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 cap coupled to the second end of the body, the cap including;

(a) a connection member including an interior wall having a threaded portion engagable with the threads of the second end of said body, the connection member being threadably coupled to the second end of the body adjacent to the second opening in the second end;

(b) an exterior grip portion having a plurality of protrusions; and

(c) a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the connection member, the drink supply outlet valve having;

(i) a liquid passage member coupled to said connection member along a second axis, the liquid passage member defining an outlet; and

(ii) a rotatable member coupled to the liquid passage member, the rotatable member being;

(x) rotatable about the second axis;

(y) spaced along said second axis axially away from said connection member; and

(z) movable between a plurality of positions along the second axis, one of the positions being closer to said connection member than another one of the positions, the rotatable member having an exterior surface which, when engaged, is rotatable between;

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

(bb) an open position which enables syrup drink supply to flow from the body though the second opening, the exterior surface of the rotatable member having a plurality of teeth configured to mesh with the teeth of the first gear when the first gear is engaged with the exterior surface in a position so that the first axis intersects with the second axis.

10. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 9, wherein the connection member has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the rotatable member has an upper surface and a lower surface, the distance between the upper surface of the rotatable member and the lower surface of the connection member defining a distance between the connection member and the rotatable member, the distance having a dimension which maintains the plurality of teeth of the rotatable member in meshing engagement with the teeth of the first gear.

11. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 9, wherein the rotatable member includes an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of gear teeth.

12. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 9, 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.