Appliance with dispenser

• US 8,565,917 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US13/630,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20130041501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0034 for controlling the amount of each component
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0043 Mixing devices for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0052 by means for directing respective streams together
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/006 Conventional carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0079 having their own dispensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0412 the whole dispensing unit being fixed to the container
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/08 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0801 of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0878 Safety, warning or controlling devices B67D1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0889 Supports
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/12 Flow or pressure control devices or systems , e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0812 Bottles, cartridges or similar containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0814 for upside down use
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00036 for use with or in refrigerators

Abstract

An appliance having a housing including a body defining a compartment and a door attached to the body, a water supplier including a first valve actuator configured to cause water to be dispensed by the water supplier, a supply container holder configured to hold a supply container for a liquid supply, at least one user input device including a touch screen configured to enable a user to make an input to request dispensing of the liquid supply from the supply container, a supply dispenser including a second valve actuator and configured to cause the liquid supply in the supply container to be selectively dispensed from the supply container based on the input made by the user using the touch screen, and a dispensing computer configured to receive a dispense signal from the touch screen, in response to receipt of the dispense signal, cause the second valve actuator to cause the liquid supply in the supply container to be dispensed from the supply container for a first period of time to dispense an appropriate amount of liquid supply, and store data representative of the amounts of the liquid supply dispensed by the supply dispenser.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

a housing having a first compartment and a second compartment;

a dispensing mechanism supported by the first compartment of the housing;

a water supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispensing mechanism;

a drink supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispensing mechanism, said drink supply mechanism configured to removably hold a plurality of drink supply cartridges which each contain drink supply, said drink supply mechanism including a plurality of independently operable valves, each of said valves associated with a different one of the drink supply cartridges;

a user interface panel supported by the first compartment of the housing, said user interface panel including a touch screen; and

a computer supported by the housing and connected to the dispensing mechanism and the user interface panel, said computer configured to;

(a) cause the user interface panel to display a plurality of different beverage related images, each different beverage related image associated with at least one of the drink supply cartridges held by the drink supply mechanism,

(b) cause the user interface panel, via the touch screen, to receive a plurality of inputs corresponding to said plurality of different displayed beverage related images, and

(c) for each received input, cause the dispensing mechanism to dispense a beverage associated with the beverage related image corresponding to said received input, said beverage dispensed via causing operation of the valve associated with the drink supply cartridge associated with said beverage related image corresponding to said received input.

2. The appliance of claim 1, which is a refrigerator.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein, for each received input, the dispensing mechanism is configured to mix, at a predetermined level, the drink supply from the drink supply cartridge associated with the beverage related image corresponding to said received input and water from the water supply mechanism to dispense the beverage associated with the beverage related image corresponding to said received input.

4. The appliance of claim 3, which includes a CO₂ supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the water supply mechanism, wherein water from the water supply mechanism is carbonated water.

5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the drink supply mechanism includes at least one pump for drawing, from each drink supply cartridge held by the drink supply mechanism, the drink supply in said drink supply cartridge.

6. The appliance of claim 1, which includes a CO₂ supply mechanism supported by the housing, connected to the water supply mechanism, and configured to hold at least one removable CO₂ supply container.

7. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the water supply mechanism includes a carbonating tank connected to the CO₂ supply mechanism.

8. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the computer is configured to determine a volume of CO₂ dispensed from each CO₂ supply container held by the CO₂ supply mechanism.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply cartridges is a concentrate.

10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply cartridges is a powder.

11. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply cartridges is a liquid.

12. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to cause the user interface panel to display information regarding at least one of:

(i) a consumption amount of drink supply from at least one of the plurality of drink supply cartridges, and (ii) a remaining amount of drink supply in at least one of the plurality of drink supply cartridges.

13. The appliance of claim 1, where the drink supply mechanism includes a plurality of drink supply valve actuators, each associated with a different one of the valves.

14. The appliance of claim 1, which includes a plurality of fluid communication lines, each fluid communication line configured to direct drink supply from a different one of the drink supply cartridges to a dispensing point.

15. The appliance of claim 14, wherein the dispensing point for each fluid communication line is different.

16. The appliance of claim 14, wherein the dispensing point for each fluid communication line is at the dispensing mechanism.

17. The appliance of claim 14, wherein each fluid communication line is connected to the dispensing mechanism.

18. An appliance comprising:

a housing having a first compartment and a second compartment;

a dispensing mechanism supported by the first compartment of the housing;

a water supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispensing mechanism;

a drink supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispensing mechanism, said drink supply mechanism configured to removably hold a plurality of drink supply cartridges which each contain drink supply, said drink supply mechanism including a plurality of independently operable valves, each of said valves associated with a different one of the drink supply cartridges;

a user interface panel supported by the first compartment of the housing, said user interface panel including a touch screen; and

a computer supported by the housing and connected to the dispensing mechanism and the user interface panel, said computer configured to;

(a) cause the user interface panel to display a plurality of different beverage related images, each different beverage related image associated with at least one of the drink supply cartridges held by the drink supply mechanism,

(b) cause the user interface panel, via the touch screen, to receive a plurality of inputs corresponding to said plurality of different displayed beverage related images, and

(c) cause the dispensing mechanism to dispense a beverage associated with one of the displayed beverage related images, said beverage dispensed via causing operation of the valve associated with the drink supply cartridge associated with said one of the displayed beverage related images.

19. The appliance of claim 18, which is a refrigerator.

20. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the dispensing mechanism is configured to mix, at a predetermined level, the drink supply from the drink supply cartridge associated with said one of the displayed beverage related images and water from the water supply mechanism to dispense the beverage associated with said one of the displayed beverage related images.

21. The appliance of claim 20, which includes a CO₂ supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the water supply mechanism, wherein water from the water supply mechanism is carbonated water.

22. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the drink supply mechanism includes at least one pump for drawing, from each drink supply cartridge held by the drink supply mechanism, the drink supply in said drink supply cartridge.

23. The appliance of claim 18, which includes a CO₂ supply mechanism supported by the housing, connected to the water supply mechanism, and configured to hold at least one removable CO₂ supply container.

24. The appliance of claim 23, wherein the water supply mechanism includes a carbonating tank connected to the CO₂ supply mechanism.

25. The appliance of claim 23, wherein the computer is configured to determine a volume of CO₂ dispensed from each CO₂ supply container held by the CO₂ supply mechanism.

26. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply cartridges is a concentrate.

27. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply cartridges is a powder.

28. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply cartridges is a liquid.

29. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the computer is configured to cause the user interface panel to display information regarding at least one of:

(i) a consumption amount of drink supply from at least one of the plurality of drink supply cartridges, and (ii) a remaining amount of drink supply in at least one of the plurality of drink supply cartridges.

30. The appliance of claim 18, where the drink supply mechanism includes a plurality of drink supply valve actuators, each associated with a different one of the valves.

31. The appliance of claim 18, which includes a plurality of fluid communication lines, each fluid communication line configured to direct drink supply from a different one of the drink supply cartridges to a dispensing point.

32. The appliance of claim 31, wherein the dispensing point for each fluid communication line is different.

33. The appliance of claim 31, wherein the dispensing point for each fluid communication line is at the dispensing mechanism.

34. The appliance of claim 31, wherein each fluid communication line is connected to the dispensing mechanism.