Drink supply canister having a valve with a piercable sealing member

• US 20050173464A1
• 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 7,367,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/399
• 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 defining a drink supply holding cavity, the body having;

(a) a wall;

(b) a first end connected to the wall, a portion of the first end having a piercable sealing member; and

(c) a second end connected to the wall, the second end defining at least one opening; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the second end of the body at or near the opening in the second end of the body.

2. The drink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the piercable sealing member includes a material piercable by a gas injection pin of a gas injector of the beverage dispensing apparatus.

3. The drink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the piercable sealing member includes a wall having a plurality of portions, the wall flexible between:

(a) one position wherein the portions of the wall are in contact with one another; and

(b) another position wherein the portions of the wall are spaced apart from one another.

4. The drink supply canister of claim 3, wherein the wall of the piercable sealing member has a circular shape.

5. The drink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the sealing member includes a gas inlet valve.

6. The drink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the drink supply outlet valve has an engagement member, the engagement member operable to enable the drink supply outlet valve to have:

(a) an open position which enables syrup drink supply to flow from the body through the opening in the second end; and

(b) a closed position which blocks flow of syrup drink supply from the body through said opening.

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

a body adapted to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply under pressure, the body having;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity;

(b) a first end connected to the wall, a portion of the first end having a piercable sealing member which has;

(a) a closed position which blocks flow of gas through the first end; and

(b) an open pierced position defining a first opening in the first end which enables gas to flow through the first end into the body;

(c) a second end connected to the wall, the second end defining a second opening; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the second end of the body, the drink supply outlet valve positioned at or near the second opening in the second end, the drink supply valve operable to enable;

(a) an open position which enables the syrup drink supply to flow from the body through the second opening; and

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

8. The drink supply canister of claim 7, wherein the piercable sealing member includes a material piercable by a gas injection pin of a gas injector of the beverage dispensing apparatus.

9. The drink supply canister of claim 7, wherein the piercable sealing member includes a wall having a plurality of portions, the wall flexible between:

(a) one position wherein the portions of the wall are in contact with one another; and

(b) another position wherein the portions of the wall are spaced apart from one another.

10. The drink supply canister of claim 9, wherein the wall of the piercable sealing member has a circular shape.

11. The drink supply canister of claim 7, wherein the sealing member includes a gas inlet valve.

12. The drink supply canister of claim 7, wherein the drink supply outlet valve has an engagement member, the engagement member operable to cause the drink supply outlet valve to have:

(a) an open position which enables syrup drink supply to flow from the body through the second opening; and

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

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

a body adapted to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply under pressure, the body having;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity;

(b) a first end connected to the wall, a portion of the first end having a piercable sealing member which has;

(a) a closed position which blocks flow of pressurized gas through the first end; and

(b) an open pierced position forming a first opening in the first end enabling pressurized gas to flow through the first opening to pressurize the syrup drink supply in the body;

(c) a second end coupled to the wall, the second end defining a second opening; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the second end at or near the second opening, the drink supply valve operable to have;

(a) an open position which enables the syrup drink supply to flow through the second opening; and

(b) a closed position which blocks flow of the syrup drink supply through the second opening.

14. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the piercable sealing member includes a material piercable by a gas injection pin of a gas injector of the beverage dispensing apparatus.

15. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the piercable sealing member includes a wall having a plurality of portions, the wall flexible between:

(a) one position wherein the portions of the wall are in contact with one another; and

(b) another position wherein the portions of the wall are spaced apart from one another.

16. The drink supply canister of claim 15, wherein the wall of the piercable sealing member has a circular shape.

17. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the sealing member includes a gas inlet valve.

18. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the drink supply outlet valve has an engagement member, the engagement member operable to cause the drink supply outlet valve to have:

(a) an open position which enables syrup drink supply to flow from the body through the second opening; and

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

19. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the wall of the body is cylindrical.