Appliance with dispenser

• US 8,190,290 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Inventors: Crisp, III, Harry Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US12/845,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20100307185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 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 including a housing and a cylindrical dispenser supported by the housing, the cylindrical dispenser including a body which defines an opening and a plurality of outlets arranged around a bottom portion of the body and around the opening. The appliance includes a water supply apparatus supported by the housing and in fluid communication with the cylindrical dispenser, a container holder supported by the housing and configured to removably hold a plurality of containers, and a plurality of pumps supported by the housing and configured to operate with the water supply apparatus and the containers held by the container holder. The appliance also includes a user beverage requester supported by the housing and a computer supported by the housing, the computer connected to the user beverage requester and configured to control the plurality of pumps to cause the dispensing of a beverage.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

a housing;

a cylindrical dispenser supported by the housing, said cylindrical dispenser including a body which defines an opening and a plurality of outlets arranged around a bottom portion of the body and around the opening;

a water supply apparatus supported by the housing and in fluid communication with the cylindrical dispenser;

a container holder supported by the housing, said container holder configured to removably hold a plurality of containers;

a plurality of pumps supported by the housing, and configured to operate with the water supply apparatus and the containers held by the container holder, wherein for each of the plurality of containers, the pumps are configured to cause water and a supply from said container to mix in an open space below said cylindrical dispenser to make one of a plurality of beverages;

a user beverage requester supported by the housing; and

a computer supported by the housing, said computer connected to the user beverage requester and configured to;

(a) control the plurality of pumps to cause the dispensing of the plurality of beverages, (b) for each container, control an exact amount of the supply from the container associated with the beverage made from said supply and an exact amount of water from the water supply apparatus to mix and dispense the beverage made from said supply, and (c) track, for each container held by the container holder, a volume of the supply dispensed from said container.

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

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the outlets of the body of the cylindrical dispenser are each angled toward the opening defined by the body.

4. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the outlets of the body of the cylindrical dispenser are approximately uniformly spaced about the body.

5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical dispenser includes a plurality of injectors attached to the outlets.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the body of the cylindrical dispenser includes a water tube which defines the opening defined by the body.

7. The appliance of claim 1, which includes a CO2 supply apparatus supported by the housing and connected to the water supply apparatus.

8. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured, for each container, to control the exact amount of water from the water supply apparatus to mix and dispense each beverage made from each supply.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to automatically cause a message to be sent to a location remote from the appliance.

10. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the computer is configured to cause said message to be sent to an order processing system remote from the appliance.

11. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the message includes an order for at least one replacement container.

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

13. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the water supply apparatus includes a carbonating tank connected to the CO2 supply apparatus.

14. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the computer is configured to track a volume of CO2 dispensed from each CO2 supply container held by the CO2 supply apparatus.

15. The appliance of claim 14, wherein the computer is configured cause a message to be sent to an order processing system remote from the appliance, said message including an order for at least one replacement CO2 supply container.

16. An appliance comprising:

a housing;

a cylindrical dispenser supported by the housing, said cylindrical dispenser including a body which defines an opening and a plurality of outlets arranged approximately uniformly spaced around a bottom portion of the body and around the opening, each of the outlets being angled toward the opening;

a water supply apparatus supported by the housing and in fluid communication with the cylindrical dispenser;

a container holder supported by the housing, said container holder configured to removably hold a plurality of containers;

a plurality of pumps supported by the housing, and configured to operate with the water supply apparatus and the containers held by the container holder, wherein for each of the plurality of containers, the pumps are configured to cause water and a supply from said container to mix in an open space below said cylindrical dispenser to make one of a plurality of beverages;

a user beverage requester supported by the housing; and

a computer supported by the housing, said computer connected to the user beverage requester and configured to;

(i) control the plurality of pumps to cause the dispensing of each of the plurality of beverages, and

(ii) for each container, control an exact amount of the supply from the container associated with the beverage made from said supply and an exact amount of water from the water supply apparatus to mix and dispense the beverage made from said supply and

(iii) track, for each container held by the container holder, a volume of the supply dispensed from said container.