Patent Publication Number: US-7721568-B1

Title: Refrigerator unit beverage tapper conversion kit

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to refrigeration and more specifically to a refrigerator unit beverage tapper conversion kit, which allows a refrigerator unit to be converted into a beverage tapper. 
   2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
   Refrigerator units include any structure that cools or keeps cool some object placed therein. Particularly, mini-refrigerators are very convenient for storing items that need to be refrigerated, where space does not allow for a normal size refrigerator. However, a half barrel is just slightly to big to be retained in a mini-refrigerator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,887 to Burton discloses a beverage dispensing system. The Burton patent includes a beverage dispensing system, which utilizes a modified refrigerator/freezer unit and a tower mounted on a top of the refrigerator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,647 to Hassell discloses a method and apparatus for cooling and dispensing beverage. The Hassell patent includes a beverage cooling, carbonating and dispensing apparatus, which has a refrigerator cabinet having a cold air cooling chamber, a cold beverage reservoir and carbonator in the cooling chamber, an outlet from the reservoir to a dispensing valve, and a spring-like helically coiled thermally conductive precooler secured to a beverage inlet of the reservoir. 
   Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a refrigerator unit beverage tapper conversion kit, which allows a half barrel to be stored in a refrigerator unit by replacing the door with a door cover. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a refrigerator unit beverage tapper conversion kit, which allows a refrigerator unit to be converted into a beverage tapper. The refrigerator unit beverage tapper conversion kit (refrigerator conversion kit) includes a door cover. The door cover preferably includes a nylon sheet that is sewn into the shape of a cap. An insulating layer is attached to an inside surface of the cap. An inside perimeter of the cap is sized to be slipped over an outside perimeter of an open end of the refrigerator unit. An elastic loop is sewn on an open end perimeter of the cap for sealing to an outside perimeter of an open end of the refrigerator. The elastic loop may be cut and a draw string inserted into the elastic loop, such that each end of the draw string extends from the cut. A shank opening is formed through a front of the door cover to provide clearance for a faucet shank. 
   The refrigerator conversion kit may also include a carbon dioxide bottle, a gas regulator, a sankey, a faucet support, a faucet, a faucet shank, a carbon dioxide tube and a beverage tube. The carbon dioxide bottle is filled with pressurized carbon dioxide gas. The regulator is attached to a top of the carbon dioxide bottle. The sankey is inserted into a top of a half barrel of some beverage. One end of the carbon dioxide tube is connected to an output of the gas regulator and the other end is connected to an input of the sankey. 
   A regular door is removed from the refrigerator unit, before installing the door cover. The elastic loop is slipped over the open end of the refrigerator unit. If a draw string is used, then the draw string is pulled tightly and tied to maintain a substantially air tight seal between the door cover and the open end of the refrigerator unit. The faucet support is attached to a top of the half barrel. The faucet shank is inserted through a support plate and through the shank opening. One end of the faucet shank is secured to an end of the faucet support. The faucet is secured to the other end of the faucet shank. One end of the beverage tube is connected to an outlet of the sankey and the other end is connected to the faucet shank. Pulling a handle of the faucet provides a refrigerated beverage from the half barrel. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator conversion kit, which allows a refrigerator unit to be converted into a beverage tapper by replacing the door with a door cover. 
   These and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a refrigerator unit with a door cover replacing the regular door of the refrigerator unit in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a refrigerator unit and a refrigerator conversion kit in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an inside perspective view of a door cover of a refrigerator conversion kit in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross sectional view of a door cover of a refrigerator conversion kit in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference now to the drawings, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of a door cover  10  attached to a refrigerator unit  100 . The refrigerator unit  100  is any structure that cools or keeps cool some object place therein. With reference to  FIGS. 2-4 , a refrigerator conversion kit includes the door cover  10 . The door cover  10  preferably includes a nylon sheet that is sewn into the shape of a generally concave cap  12 . However, the cap  12  could also be fabricated of a rigid material, such as molded plastic. An insulating layer  14  is attached to an inside surface of the cap  12  with adhesive, sewing or any other suitable method. An inside perimeter of the cap  12  is sized to be slipped over an outside perimeter of an open end of the refrigerator unit  100 . An elastic sheet is preferably folded over and sewn around an open end perimeter of the refrigerator door cover  10  to form an elastic loop  16 . A cut  15  may be formed through the elastic loop  16  and the cap  12  and a draw string  18  inserted into the elastic loop  16 , such that each end of the draw string  18  extends from the cut  15 . Each end of the draw string  18  extends outward from the cut  15 . A shank opening  20  is formed through a front of the door cover  10  to provide clearance for a faucet shank  32 . 
   The refrigerator conversion kit may also include a carbon dioxide bottle  22 , a gas regulator  24 , a sankey  26 , a faucet support  28 , a faucet  30 , a faucet shank  32 , a carbon dioxide tube  34  and a beverage tube  36 . The carbon dioxide bottle  22  is filled with pressurized carbon dioxide gas. The gas regulator  24  is attached to a threaded outlet  23  of the carbon dioxide bottle  22 . The sankey  26  is inserted into a tapper port  104  of a half barrel  102 . One end of the carbon dioxide tube  34  is connected to an output connector  38  of the gas regulator  24  and the other end is connected to an inlet fitting  40  of the sankey  26 . A thermostat relocation plate  42  is used to mount a thermostat  105  of the refrigerator unit  100  in a rear interior portion of the refrigerator unit  100 , if necessary to provide clearance for the half barrel  102 . 
   The faucet support  28  includes a hook portion  44 , an offset portion  46  and a shank ring  48 . The hook portion  44  is formed on one end of the faucet support  42  and the shank ring  48  is formed on the other end thereof. The offset portion  46  is formed in substantially a middle of the faucet support  28 . The hook portion  44  is inserted into a handle opening  106  in the half barrel  102 . The offset portion  46  is retained, under the inserted sankey  26 . The faucet shank  32  is inserted through a support plate  50 , the shank opening  20  in the door cover  10  and the shank ring  48 . A nut (not shown) is threaded and tightened on to an end of the faucet shank  32 . One end of the beverage tube  36  is secured to an outlet fitting  52  of the sankey  26  and the other end is secured to an inlet fitting  54  extending from one end of the faucet shank  32 . The faucet  30  is attached to the other end of the faucet shank  32 . 
   A regular door of a refrigerator unit (not shown) is removed, before installing the door cover  10 . The door cover  10  is slipped over the open end of the refrigerator unit  100 . If used, the draw string  18  is pulled tightly and tied to maintain a substantially air tight seal between the door cover  10  and the open end of the refrigerator unit  100 . Pulling a handle  56  of the faucet  30  provides a refrigerated beverage from the half barrel  102 . 
   While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.