Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0104024, filed on Oct. 29, 2010, entitled “REFRIGERATOR WITH BEVERAGE DISPENSER CLEANING SYSTEM,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a beverage dispenser. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a refrigerator beverage dispenser having a cleaning subsystem. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The background of the invention is discussed in the context of a beverage dispenser used in a refrigerator. The present invention is not to be limited to this specific context. Refrigerators have long been used to dispense fluid such as water. More recently it has been desirous to provide refrigerators with beverage dispensers. One of the problems of dispensing beverages from a refrigerator relates to keeping the beverage dispensing system clean. Failure to keep a beverage dispensing system clean may adversely affect its use. In addition failure to clean may lend to flavor contamination. Yet users may not be willing to take the steps necessary to properly clean a beverage dispenser. 
         [0004]    What is needed is an apparatus and method for a refrigerator with a beverage dispensing system which is easy and convenient to clean. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Therefore it is a primary, object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve over the state of the art. 
         [0006]    It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a refrigerator with a beverage dispensing system capable of self-cleaning. 
         [0007]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with a beverage dispensing system which is easy and convenient for a user to operate. 
         [0008]    One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become clear from the specification and claims that follow. No single embodiment need exhibit each and every object, feature, or advantage. 
         [0009]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to assist in preventing flavor contamination. 
         [0010]    According to one aspect of the present invention a method of using a refrigerator with a beverage dispensing system is provided The method includes providing a refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet and a beverage dispenser operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet. The method further includes receiving an indicia from a user to dispense a beverage. The method further includes dispensing the beverage and circulating a cleaning fluid through the fluid line or the fluid enhancement line for cleaning after dispensing. 
         [0011]    These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present disclosure will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a refrigerator with a beverage dispenser. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of the refrigerator beverage dispenser. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of the refrigerator beverage dispenser cleaning system. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of the refrigerator beverage dispenser with a cleaning subsystem. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a schematic representation of the refrigerator beverage dispenser with a cleaning subsystem and drain. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a schematic representation of the refrigerator beverage dispenser with a permanent cleaning subsystem and drain. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a schematic representation of the refrigerator beverage dispenser with a permanent cleaning subsystem. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 8A-B  represent a cleaning cartridge for use in a cleaning subsystem of a beverage dispenser. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  illustrates a refrigerator  10  having a fresh food compartment  14  and a freezer compartment  12 . A fresh food compartment door  18  provides access to the fresh food compartment  14 . The freezer compartment door  16  provides access to the freezer compartment  12 . The refrigerator  10  includes a beverage dispensing system  20  which is shown at the door  16 . The beverage dispenser  20  may include a user interface with control buttons  84  which enable a user to select a preferred dispensing operation. Of course, other types of user interfaces may be provided. A first nozzle  90  in the dispenser  20  may deliver a flow of fluid downward. A second nozzle  92  adjacent the first nozzle  90  in the dispenser  20  may also deliver a flow of enhanced fluid downward. In  FIG. 1 , the refrigerator  10  is shown in a side-by-side configuration. Of course, the refrigerator  10  may take on other configurations as well, such as a bottom mount freezer configuration. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  illustrates a first embodiment which shows the beverage dispenser  20  and associated components for beverage dispensing. The beverage dispenser  20  includes a fluid supply  22  and a fluid enhancement component  24 . The fluid supply  22  is controlled by a valve  36 . The fluid supply may supply conditioned or unconditioned fluid, such as, unfiltered fluid, filtered fluid, carbonated fluid, uncarbonated fluid, water, or filtered water. The fluid lines  34  and  38  provide paths to the beverage mixer  32 . The fluid enhancement component  24  may be housed within a BIB (bag-in-box), a cartridge, a bottle, or any other type of fluid enhancement container. The fluid enhancement component  24  may connect directly into the pump  26  or via the liquid enhancement line  46  or otherwise. The fluid enhancement component  24  may be drawn through the pump  26 . The pump  26  is one component of a pumping mechanism  72 . The pumping mechanism  72  also may include a motor  28  which actuates the pump  26  and may also be easily separated from the pump  26 . The pump  26  may be easily removed by a consumer. The pump  26  may also be disassembled and cleaned by the consumer either by hand or in a dishwasher. The pump  26  may also be attached to a replaceable cartridge and disposed of or returned and cleaned when the cartridge is refilled. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the fluid supply  22  and the fluid enhancement component  24  are introduced at a beverage mixer  32  via supply lines  38  and  48 , respectively. The fluid and fluid enhancement may then mix an output to a cup  52  via a beverage mixer line  58 . The beverage mix line  58  is operatively connected to the nozzle  92 , such as shown in  FIG. 1 . The fluid supply valve  36  and the pumping mechanism  72  may be controlled by the control unit  30  in a manner such that a predetermined ratio of the fluid enhancement from the fluid enhancement component  24  to the fluid from the fluid supply  22  is delivered to the beverage mixer  32 . Hence, whenever a beverage is requested via the beverage dispenser  20  user interface, the control unit  30  receives this input request and dispenses the selected beverage. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates another embodiment which shows the beverage dispenser  20  and associated components for beverage dispensing. The beverage dispenser  20  includes the fluid supply  22  and the fluid enhancement component  24 . The fluid supply  22  is controlled by the valve  36 . The fluid lines  34  and  38  provide a path to the beverage mixer  32 . The fluid enhancement component  24  may be housed within a BIB (bag-in-box), a cartridge, a bottle, or any other type of fluid enhancement container. The fluid enhancement component  24  flows through the pump  26  and the lines  42 ,  46  respectively via the valve  44 . The fluid enhancement component  24  may connect directly into valve  44  or via the fluid enhancement line  46 . The beverage mixing system may utilize a manifold wherein the fluid enhancement component  24 , the fluid supply  22 , the beverage mixer  32  and the pumping mechanism  72  are interconnected without the use of the various fluid lines. The fluid enhancement component  24  is drawn through the pump  26 . The pump  26  is one component of the pumping mechanism  72 . Pumping mechanism  72  also has a motor  28  which actuates the pump  26  and also may be easily separated from the pump  26 . The pump  26  is designed to be easily removable for replacement. The fluid supply  22  and the fluid enhancement component  24  are introduced at the beverage mixer  32  via the supply lines  38  and  48  respectively. The two fluids are then mixed and output to a cup  52  via a beverage mix line  58 . The beverage mix line  58  is mated to the nozzle  92 , refer to  FIG. 1 . The fluid supply valve  36  and the pumping mechanism  72  may be controlled by the control unit  30  in a manner such that a predetermined ratio of the fluid enhancement to fluid is delivered to the beverage mixer  32 . Hence, whenever a beverage is requested via the user interface of the beverage dispenser  20 , the control unit  30  receives this input request and dispenses the selected beverage. The pumping mechanism  72 , and more specifically the pump  26  is cleaned of residue from the fluid enhancement component  24  by flushing the lines  46 ,  48  and  58  with a small amount of the fluid from the fluid supply  22 . The fluid is dispensed into the cup  52  after the initial beverage is mixed. This additional amount of fluid may have a minimum impact on the taste of the mixed beverage. Alternatively, instead of a beverage mixer  32 , fluid supply  22  and fluid enhancement  24  may be delivered directly to cup  52 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  illustrates another embodiment wherein a cleaning cartridge or a cleaning subsystem  50  which may be swapped into the same position as the fluid enhancement  24  as they share the same configuration. The pumping mechanism  72 , and more specifically the pump  26  may be cleaned of residues from the fluid enhancement component  24  by directing the cleaning solution within the cleaning subsystem  50  through the line  42 , the valve  44 , and the lines  46  and  48  which are operatively connected to the pump  26 . The control unit  30  may then direct the fluid supply  22  to flow through the lines  34 ,  40 ,  46 ,  48  and  58  by actuating the valves  36  and  44 , and through the pumping mechanism  72  to rinse all the lines and the pump  26  of the cleaning solution. The control unit  30  may alert the consumer via the beverage dispenser  20  display  86  when the pump  26  should be cleaned or the consumer may independently initiate a cleaning cycle for the pump  26  by pressing the control button  84  associated with initiating a cleaning cycle. In either example, the consumer may place the cup  52  beneath the beverage dispenser nozzle  92  to collect cleaning solution for disposal. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment wherein a cleaning cartridge or a cleaning subsystem  50  which may be swapped into the same position as the fluid enhancement  24  as they share the same configuration. The pumping mechanism  72  and more specifically the pump  26  may be cleaned of residues from the fluid enhancement component  24  by directing the cleaning solution within the cleaning subsystem  50  through the line  42 , the valve  44 , and the lines  46  and  48  which are operatively connected to the pump  26 . The control unit  30  may then direct the fluid supply  22  to flow through the lines  34 ,  40 ,  46 ,  48  and  58  by actuating the valves  36  and  44 , and through the pumping mechanism  72  to rinse all the lines and the pump  26  of the cleaning solution. The control unit  30  may alert the consumer via the beverage dispenser  20  display  86  when the pump  26  should be cleaned or the consumer may independently initiate a cleaning cycle for the pump  26  by pressing the control button  84  associated with initiating a cleaning cycle. In either example, the consumer may place a cup beneath the beverage dispenser nozzle  92  or the consumer may allow the cleaning solution to flow directly into a plumbed drain or a non-plumbed drain  54 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment wherein a cleaning cartridge or a cleaning subsystem  50  is positioned next to the fluid enhancement component  24  instead of being swapped into and out of the same position as the fluid enhancement component  24 , refer to  FIG. 5 . The pumping mechanism  72  and more specifically the pump  26  may be cleaned of residues from the fluid enhancement component  24  by directing the cleaning solution within the cleaning subsystem  50  through the line  62 , valve  44 , line  46 , pump  26  and line  48  which feeds beverage mixer  32  and dispenses via line  58 . The control unit  30  may then direct the fluid within fluid supply  22  to flow through lines  34 ,  40 ,  46 ,  48  and  58  by actuating valves  36  and  44 , and pumping mechanism  72  to rinse the lines and pump  26  of the cleaning solution. The control unit  30  may alert the consumer via the beverage dispenser display  86  when the pump  26  should be cleaned or the consumer may independently initiate a cleaning cycle for the pump  26  pressing the control button  84  associated with initiating a cleaning cycle. In either example, the consumer may place the cup  52  beneath the beverage dispenser nozzle  92  to collect cleaning solution for disposal. Or a plumbed or non-plumbed drain  54  may be implemented for removing the cleaning solution as opposed to the cup  52 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment wherein a cleaning cartridge or a cleaning subsystem  70  is positioned next to the fluid enhancement component  24  instead of being swapped into and out of the same position as the fluid enhancement  24 , refer to  FIG. 5 . Referring to  FIG. 8A , a cleaning subsystem  70  contains the unused cleaning solution  78  and the used cleaning solution  80  which are separated by a flexible divider  82  to form a first chamber  83  and a second chamber  85 . The cleaning solution  78  from the first chamber  83  enters the beverage dispensing system  20  via a check valve  74  through a line  62 . The used cleaning solution  80  returns to the second chamber  85  of the cleaning subsystem  70  through the line  68  via a check valve  76 . The pumping mechanism  72 , and more specifically the pump  26  may be cleaned of residue from the fluid enhancement component  24  by directing the cleaning solution  78  within the cleaning subsystem  70  through the line  62 , the valve  44 , the line  46 , the pump  26  and the line  48  which feeds the beverage mixer  32  and continues via the line  64  to the valve  66  which directs the flow path to the line  68  and returns the used cleaning solution  80  to the cleaning subsystem  70 . The control unit  30  may then direct the fluid within the fluid supply  22  to flow through the lines  34 ,  40 ,  46 ,  48 ,  64  and  68  by actuating the valves  36 ,  44 ,  66  and the pumping mechanism  72  to rinse all the lines and the pump  26  of the cleaning solution  78 . The flexible divider  82  may be seen extending due to the inflow of used cleaning solution  80  and the fluid rinse within the area vacated by the unused cleaning solution  78 , refer to  FIG. 8B . The control unit  30  may alert the consumer via the beverage dispenser display  86  when the pump  26  should be cleaned or the consumer may independently initiate a cleaning cycle for the pump  26  pressing the control button  84  associated with initiating a cleaning cycle. 
         [0027]    Thus, a beverage dispenser which provides for easy and convenient cleaning has been disclosed. 
         [0028]    The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention is not to be limited to any specific embodiment described herein.

Technology Category: f