Patent ID: 6093312
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: B67D,C02F,F25C,F25D,G07F

Abstract:
A purified water and ice dispenser comprising:a housing having a vend window and a machine room having a filtration system;the filtration system further comprising:a means for pre-filtering city water;a means for piping a portion of the pre-filtered water forming a driving fluid into a space substantially enclosed by an inner bladder of a diaphragm storage tank, thereby providing a driving pressure in the inner bladder of the diaphragm storage tank;a means for feeding an RO pump and filter membrane with a blend of the stored pre-filtered water in the inner bladder and the pre-filtered city water thereby reclaiming the driving fluid, functioning to feed the RO pump and filter membrane using city water pressure, thereby providing a further filtering of the water, functioning to provide a pure water supply;a means for storing the pure water supply in a pure water storage side of the diaphragm storage tank under a pressure, functioning to store the pure water supply between an outer shell of the diaphragm storage tank and the inner bladder;a means for dispensing the pure water supply in the pure water storage side of the diaphragm storage tank, functioning to respond to a demand from a user;a means for measuring the volume of a quantity of dispensed water demanded by a user; anda means for controlling the RO pump by the means for measuring so as to maintain a selected minimum volume of the pure water supply in the pure water side of the diaphragm storage tank;an ice-maker supply line tapped into the pure water side of the diaphragm storage tank;an ice-maker supply tank receiving water from the ice-maker supply line;an ice-cube maker receiving water from the ice-maker supply tank;a bin receiving ice cubes from the ice-cube maker; anda coin-operated ice-cube dispenser having an ice controller to dispense ice cubes from the bin.