Drink supply canister having a self-closing pressurization valve operable to receive a pressurization pin

• US 7,367,480 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• 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:
  US11/036,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20050173464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 222/399, 222/583, 222/402.1, 222/492, 222/490, 222/325, 222/129.3, 222/394
• US Class Current: 222/482
• 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 a canister holder having a holder wall defining a holder space, the beverage dispensing apparatus having an actuator, the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister comprising:

a body defining a drink supply holding cavity configured to hold a volume of syrup drink supply, the cavity having a length extending within said body, the volume being sufficient to be used to produce a plurality of servings of a beverage, the body having a plurality of portions, the portions of the body including;

(a) a wall;

(b) a first end connected to the wall, the first end defining a first opening, a portion of the first end having a gas inlet valve positioned at or near the first opening, the gas inlet valve including a plurality of flexible portions, at least one of the flexible portions including a gas pin engagement portion, the flexible portions being movable between;

(i) a predisposed closed position in which a plurality of the flexible portions are in contact with each other; and

(ii) an open position in which a plurality of the flexible portions are separated from each other upon insertion of a gas pin through at least part of the gas inlet valve, the flexible portions, when separated, defining a passage which is fluidly connected to the drink supply holding cavity throughout the length of the drink supply holding cavity, enabling pressurized gas from the gas pin inserted into said first opening to intermix with the syrup drink supply in the drink supply holding cavity, the flexible portions re-establishing the closed position after the gas pin is removed from the gas inlet valve; and

(c) a second end connected to the wall of the body of the drink supply syrup canister, the second end defining at least one second opening, at least one of the portions of the body including a refrigerator engagement portion, the refrigerator engagement portion configured to be positioned at the holder space and engaged with the holder wall of the canister holder of the refrigerator; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the second end of the body adjacent to the second opening in the second end of the body, the drink supply outlet valve having an assembly selected from the group consisting of;

(i) an assembly including a fluid director portion and an engagable portion, the engagable portion being movable as a result of a pushing motion of the actuator, the movement of the engagable portion causing the drink supply valve to change between a closed condition and an open condition; and

(ii) an assembly including a fluid director portion and an engagable portion, the engagable portion being movable as a result of a rotational motion of the actuator, the movement of the engagable portion causing the drink supply valve to change between a closed condition and an open condition.

2. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the portion of the first end of the drink supply canister has an opening wall which defines the first opening; and

(b) the gas inlet valve has an outer portion engaged with the opening wall.

3. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 2, wherein each of the flexible portions of the gas inlet valve has a resilient characteristic.

4. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim ,1 wherein the gas inlet valve has a tubular shape.

5. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 1, wherein holder wall has a circular shape, and the refrigerator engagement portion is configured to be received by the holder space defined by the holder wall.

6. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup 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 the syrup drink supply to flow from the body through the opening in the second end; and

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

7. A refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the refrigerator including a canister holder having a holder wall defining a holder space, the beverage dispensing apparatus having an actuator, the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister comprising:

a body adapted to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply under pressure, the volume being sufficient to be used to produce a plurality of servings of a beverage, the body having a plurality of portions, the portions of the body including;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity which has a length extending within said body;

(b) a first end connected to the wall, the first end having an opening wall which defines a first opening in the first end;

(c) a self-closing gas inlet valve connected to the opening wall, the self-closing gas inlet valve having a valve body, at least part of the valve body extending beyond the first end into the opening, the valve body having a plurality of flexible portions which are;

(i) biased to be in contact with each other; and

(ii) movable apart from one another upon insertion of a gas injection pin through at least part of the valve body, the flexible portions, when separated, defining a passage which is fluidly connected to the drink supply holding cavity, enabling the pressurized gas from the gas injection pin inserted into said first opening to intermix with the syrup drink supply in the drink supply holding cavity, at least one of the flexible portions having a gas injection pin engagement portion; and

(d) a second end connected to the wall of the body of the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister, the second end defining a second opening, at least one of the portions of the body including a refrigerator engagement portion, the refrigerator engagement portion configured to be positioned at the holder space and engaged with the holder wall of the canister holder of the refrigerator; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the second end of the body, the drink supply outlet valve positioned -adjacent to the second opening in the second end, the drink supply valve having an assembly selected from the group consisting of;

(a) an assembly including a fluid director portion and an engagable portion, the engagable portion being movable as a result of a pushing motion of the actuator, the movement of the engagable portion causing the drink supply valve to change between a closed condition and an open condition; and

(b) an assembly including a fluid director portion and an engagable portion, the engagable portion being movable as a result of a rotational motion of the actuator, the movement of the engagable portion causing the drink supply valve to change between a closed condition and an open condition.

8. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 7, wherein, when the flexible portions are spaced apart from one another, the flexible portions form an insertion space sized to receive a portion of the gas injection pin.

9. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 7, wherein at least one of the flexible portions has a resilient characteristic.

10. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 7, wherein holder wall has a circular shape, and the refrigerator engagement portion is configured to be received by the holder space defined by the holder wall.

11. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 7, wherein part of the self-sealing gas inlet valve is seated on an exterior of the first end of the body of the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister.

12. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup 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 refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the refrigerator including a canister holder having a holder wall defining a holder space, the beverage dispensing apparatus having an actuator, the drink supply syrup canister being pressurizable by a pressurization pin, the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply canister comprising:

a body adapted to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply under pressure, the volume being sufficient to be used to produce a plurality of servings of a beverage, the body having a plurality of portions, the portions of the body including;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity which has a length extending within said body;

(b) a first end connected to the wall, the first end having an opening wall which defines a pressurization hole in the first end;

(c) a pressurization gas inlet valve connected to the opening wall and seated within at least part of the pressurization hole along an axis, the pressurization gas inlet valve including a plurality of valve portions, the valve portions including;

(i) a valve body having a first end and a second end, the first end of the valve body positioned adjacent to the first end of the body of the drink supply canister, the second end of the valve body positioned within the drink supply holding cavity along the axis; and

(ii) a plurality of flexible portions movable between;

(x) a predisposed first valve position wherein the flexible portions engage one another; and

(y) a second valve position wherein the flexible portions are disengaged from one another upon insertion of the pressurization pin through at least part of the valve body, the flexible portions, when disengaged from one another, defining a passageway fluidly connected to the drink supply holding cavity, enabling pressurized gas from the pressurization pin to intermix with the syrup drink supply in the drink supply holding cavity, at least one of the valve portions including a pressurization pin engagement portion;

(d) a second end coupled to the wall of the body of the drink supply syrup canister, the second end defining a second opening, at least one of the portions of the body including a refrigerator engagement portion, the refrigerator engagement portion configured to be at least partially received by the holder space and engaged with the holder wall of the canister holder of the refrigerator; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the second end adjacent to the second opening, the drink supply valve having an assembly selected from the group consisting of;

(a) an assembly including a fluid director portion and an engagable portion, the engagable portion being movable as a result of a pushing motion of the actuator, the movement of the engagable portion causing the drink supply valve to change between a closed condition and an open condition; and

(b) an assembly including a fluid director portion and an engagable portion, the engagable portion being movable as a result of a rotational motion of the actuator, the movement of the engagable portion causing the drink supply valve to change between a closed condition and an open condition.

14. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 13, wherein a portion of the first end of the valve body is seated on an exterior of the first end of the refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister.

15. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 13, wherein the passageway has a circular shape.

16. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 13, wherein holder wall has a circular shape, and the refrigerator engagement portion is configured to be received by the holder space defined by the holder wall.

17. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 13, wherein each of the flexible portions has a resilient characteristic.

18. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup 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 refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 13, wherein the wall of the body of the drink supply canister is cylindrical.

20. The refrigerator beverage dispensing apparatus drink supply syrup canister of claim 13, wherein the valve body has an elongated, tubular shape.