# US 10,865,092 B1 · Modular beverage-dispensing assembly for a refrigerator appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,092 B1 - Document ID: US10865092B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/532,650 - Filed: 2019-08-06 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-06 - Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Tyler Fitt; Steven Fox; Jacob Wells; Isabella Mari Cuasay; Griffin Maxwell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865092B1 ## CPC - B67D 1/0801: {of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs} - F25D 23/12: Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove - B67D 1/0057: {Carbonators} - B67D 1/0081: {Dispensing valves} - B67D 1/04: Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers - B67D 1/0857: {Cooling arrangements (cooling systems per se F25B)} - B67D 1/1245: {Change-over devices, i.e. connecting a flow line from an empty container to a full one} - F25D 23/028: {Details} - F25D 23/126: {Water cooler} - B67D 1/0085: {electro-mechanical} - B67D 1/0888: {Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)} - B67D 1/1252: {Gas pressure control means, e.g. for maintaining proper carbonation (for beer engines B67D1/025)} - B67D 2001/0092: {Containers for gas, for, e.g. CO2, N2} - B67D 2001/0093: {Valves} - B67D 2001/0094: {Valve mountings in dispensers} - B67D 2001/0095: {Constructional details} - B67D 2001/0098: {using a gas} - B67D 2001/0487: {Mixture of gases, e.g. N2 + CO2} - B67D 2001/082: {arranged in parallel} - B67D 2001/0824: {with dip tubes} - B67D 2210/00036: for use with or in refrigerators - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract A modular beverage-dispensing assembly, as provided herein, may include a housing, a compressed gas tank mounted to the housing, and a plurality of discrete beverage containers, and a multipath gas valve or multipath liquid valve for dispensing a liquid from one or more of the beverage containers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A modular beverage-dispensing assembly comprising: a housing; a compressed gas tank mounted to the housing; a plurality of discrete beverage containers supported on the housing; a multipath gas valve downstream from the compressed gas tank in selective upstream fluid communication with the plurality of discrete beverage containers to selectively direct a compressed gas from the compressed gas tank to one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers; a pressure-release valve positioned in fluid communication between the multipath gas valve and the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers; a user interface attached to the housing; and an assembly controller operably coupled to the user interface and the pressure-release valve, the assembly controller being configured to initiate a dispensing operation comprising receiving a beverage-output signal from the user interface, determining a non-dispensing state subsequent to receiving the beverage-output signal, and actuating the pressure-release valve to open a ventilation path between the pressure-release valve and an ambient environment in response to determining the non-dispensing state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a front platform extending forward from the gas tank, the plurality of discrete beverage containers being supported on the front platform. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a rear enclosure defining a cavity enclosing the compressed gas tank. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a multipath liquid valve in selective downstream fluid communication with each beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers to selectively direct a liquid from the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 4, further comprising an outlet nozzle downstream from the multipath liquid valve to dispense a liquid received therefrom. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 4, wherein the assembly controller is operably coupled to the multipath liquid valve, and wherein the dispensing operation further comprises receiving a beverage-selection signal from the user interface, and actuating the multipath liquid valve to open an exclusive liquid flow path from the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, the actuating the multipath liquid valve being based on the received beverage-selection signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly controller is operably coupled to the multipath gas valve, and wherein the dispensing operation further comprises actuating the multipath gas valve to open an exclusive gas flow path from the compressed gas tank to the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, the actuating the multipath gas valve being based on the received beverage-output signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pressure regulator in fluid communication between the compressed gas tank and the multipath gas valve, the pressure regulator being selectively adjustable to vary pressure upstream from the multipath gas valve. ### Claim 9 A modular beverage-dispensing assembly comprising: a housing; a compressed gas tank mounted to the housing; a plurality of discrete beverage containers supported on the housing; a multipath liquid valve in selective downstream fluid communication with each beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers to selectively direct a liquid from one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers; an outlet nozzle downstream from the multipath liquid valve to dispense a liquid received therefrom; a pressure-release valve positioned in fluid communication between the compressed gas tank and the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers a user interface attached to the housing; and an assembly controller operably coupled to the user interface and the pressure-release valve, the assembly controller being configured to initiate a dispensing operation comprising receiving a beverage-output signal from the user interface, determining a non-dispensing state subsequent to receiving the beverage-output signal, and actuating the pressure-release valve to open a ventilation path between the pressure-release valve and an ambient environment in response to determining the non-dispensing state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a front platform extending forward from the gas tank, the plurality of discrete beverage containers being supported on the front platform. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a rear enclosure defining a cavity enclosing the compressed gas tank. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 9, wherein the assembly controller is operably coupled to the multipath liquid valve, and wherein the dispensing operation further comprises receiving a beverage-selection signal from the user interface, and actuating the multipath liquid valve to open an exclusive liquid flow path from the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, the actuating the multipath liquid valve being based on the received beverage-selection signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 9, further comprising a multipath gas valve downstream from the compressed gas tank in selective upstream fluid communication with the plurality of discrete beverage containers, wherein the assembly controller is operably coupled to the multipath gas valve, and wherein the dispensing operation further comprises actuating the multipath gas valve to open an exclusive gas flow path from the compressed gas tank to the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, the actuating based on the received beverage-output signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The modular beverage-dispensing assembly of claim 13, further comprising a pressure regulator in fluid communication between the compressed gas tank and the multipath gas valve, the pressure regulator being selectively adjustable to vary pressure upstream from the multipath gas valve. ### Claim 15 A refrigerator appliance comprising: a cabinet defining a chilled chamber; a door attached to the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the chilled chamber; and a modular beverage-dispensing assembly selectively received within the chilled chamber, the modular beverage-dispensing assembly comprising a housing, a compressed gas tank mounted to the housing, a plurality of discrete beverage containers supported on the housing a multipath gas valve downstream from the compressed gas tank in selective upstream fluid communication with the plurality of discrete beverage containers to selectively direct a compressed gas from the compressed gas tank to one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers; a multipath liquid valve in selective downstream fluid communication with each beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers to selectively direct a liquid from the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, an outlet nozzle downstream from the multipath liquid valve to dispense a liquid received therefrom, a pressure-release valve positioned in fluid communication between the multipath gas valve and the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, a user interface attached to the housing, and an assembly controller operably coupled to the user interface and the pressure-release valve, the assembly controller being configured to initiate a dispensing operation comprising receiving a beverage-output signal from the user interface, determining a non-dispensing state subsequent to receiving the beverage-output signal, and actuating the pressure-release valve to open a ventilation path between the pressure-release valve and an ambient environment in response to determining the non-dispensing state. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The refrigerator appliance of claim 15, wherein the housing comprises a front platform extending forward from the gas tank, the plurality of discrete beverage containers being supported on the front platform. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The refrigerator appliance of claim 15, wherein the housing comprises a rear enclosure defining a cavity enclosing the compressed gas tank. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The refrigerator appliance of claim 15, wherein the assembly controller is operably coupled to the multipath liquid valve, and wherein the dispensing operation further comprises receiving a beverage-selection signal from the user interface, and actuating the multipath liquid valve to open an exclusive liquid flow path from the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, the actuating the multipath liquid valve being based on the received beverage-selection signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The refrigerator appliance of claim 15, wherein the assembly controller is operably coupled to the multipath gas valve, and wherein the dispensing operation further comprises actuating the multipath gas valve to open an exclusive gas flow path from the compressed gas tank to the one beverage container of the plurality of discrete beverage containers, the actuating based on the received beverage-output signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The refrigerator appliance of claim 15, wherein the modular beverage-dispensing assembly further comprises a pressure regulator in fluid communication between the compressed gas tank and the multipath gas valve, the pressure regulator being selectively adjustable to vary pressure upstream from the multipath gas valve.