Patent ID: 8024940

Claim:
A refrigerator dispenser, comprising: an ice dispensing actuator; a liquid dispensing actuator configured to enable actuation concurrently with actuation of the ice dispensing actuator; an ice dispensing mechanism configured to dispense ice responsive to actuation of the ice dispensing actuator; a liquid dispensing mechanism configured to dispense liquid responsive to actuation of the liquid dispensing actuator; and a controller configured to cause the ice dispensing mechanism to dispense ice responsive to actuation of the ice dispensing actuator, to cause the liquid dispensing mechanism to dispense liquid responsive to actuation of the liquid dispensing actuator, and to prevent at least one of the ice dispensing mechanism and the liquid dispensing mechanism from dispensing responsive to concurrent actuation of both the ice dispensing actuator and the liquid dispensing actuator, wherein the controller is configured to, responsive to concurrent actuation of the ice dispensing actuator and the liquid dispensing actuator, determine which of the ice dispensing actuator or the liquid dispensing actuator was first actuated and to control the ice dispensing mechanism and the liquid dispensing mechanism based on the determination.