Beverage dispensing apparatus having fluid director

A beverage dispensing apparatus for a refrigerator, said beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a fluid director mounted in the refrigerator, said fluid director having a plurality of channels, the channels having upper ends commonly located with one another and lower ends commonly located with one another, said upper ends and lower ends being positioned above a beverage collecting support surface;
• a drink supply canister holder mounted in the refrigerator at least partially above said upper ends of said channels, said drink supply canister holder adapted to hold a plurality of drink supply canisters each including a drink supply discharge end having a drink supply outlet valve operable between an open position and a closed position wherein:
• (a) each of the drink supply discharge ends is positioned above and spaced apart from the upper end of one of the channels;
• and (b) the drink supply outlet valve of said drink supply discharge end is not in direct fluid communication with said channel;
• at least one beverage requester connected to the refrigerator;
• a carbonated and non-carbonated water supplier mounted in the refrigerator, said water supplier adapted and positioned so as to selectively direct carbonated water or non-carbonated water into one of said channels through air from a position above the upper end of said channel when the beverage requester is activated;
• and
• a plurality of drink supply outlet valve actuators mounted in the refrigerator and operably connected to said drink supply outlet valves, wherein each drink supply outlet valve actuators is adapted to selectively cause the drink supply outlet valve of any one of the drink supply discharge ends to open and dispense drink supply from said drink supply discharge end, through air and then into the channel below said drink supply discharge end when the beverage requester is activated.

A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a drink supply canister holder mounted in the housing and adapted to hold a plurality of drink supply canisters, each of the drink supply canisters having a drink supply discharge end including a drink supply outlet valve;
• a fluid director mounted in the housing at least partially below the drink supply canister holder, said fluid director including a plurality of channels, the channels having upper ends commonly located with one another and lower ends commonly located with one another, said upper ends and lower ends being positioned above a beverage collecting support surface, each of the lower ends being positioned so as to be spaced apart from and located below one of the drink supply discharge ends wherein the drink supply outlet valves of said drink supply discharge ends are not in direct fluid communication with said channels;
• at least one drink supply outlet valve actuator mounted in the housing and operably connected to each of said drink supply outlet valves, said drink supply outlet valve actuator adapted to selectively actuate and open the drink supply outlet valve of one of the drink supply discharge ends to cause a flow of drink supply from said drink supply canister discharge end, through air and then into the channel located below said drink supply canister discharge end;
• a carbonated and non-carbonated water supplier mounted in the housing, said water supplier including at least one water valve actuator, the water supplier adapted and positioned so as to cause a flow of carbonated or non-carbonated water from the water supplier into one of said channels through air from a position above the upper end of said channel;
• a CO2 gas supplier mounted in the housing and connected to the water supplier;
• a controller in communication with the drink supply outlet valve actuator and the water valve actuator;
• and
• a beverage requester in communication with the controller.

A refrigerator including a beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a fluid director mounted in the housing, said fluid director having a plurality of channels, the channels having upper ends commonly located with one another and lower ends commonly located with one another, said upper ends and lower ends being positioned above a beverage collecting support surface;
• a drink supply canister holder mounted in the housing at least partially above said upper ends of said channels, the drink supply canister holder being adapted to hold a plurality of drink supply canisters, each of said drink supply canisters having a drink supply discharge end including a drink supply outlet valve operable between an open position and a closed position wherein:
• (a) each of the drink supply discharge ends is positioned above and spaced apart from the upper end of one of the channels;
• and (b) the drink supply outlet valve of said drink supply discharge end is not in direct fluid communication with said channel;
• at least one beverage requester connected to the housing;
• a carbonated and non-carbonated water supplier mounted in the housing, said water supplier adapted and positioned so as to selectively direct carbonated water or non-carbonated water into one of said channels through air from a position above the upper end of said channel when the beverage requester is activated;
• and
• at least one drink supply outlet valve actuator mounted in the housing and operably connected to each of the drink supply outlet valves, said drink supply outlet valve actuator adapted to selectively cause the drink supply outlet valve of one of the drink supply discharge ends to open and dispense drink supply from said drink supply discharge end, through air and then into the channel below said drink supply discharge end when the beverage requester is activated.

A refrigerator having a beverage dispensing apparatus, said refrigerator comprising:

• a housing;
• a fluid director connected to the housing, said fluid director having a plurality of channels, the channels having upper ends commonly located with one another and lower ends commonly located with one another, said upper ends and lower ends being positioned above a beverage collecting support surface;
• a drink supply canister holder connected to the housing at least partially above said upper ends of said channels, said drink supply canister holder adapted to hold a plurality of drink supply canisters, each said drink supply canister having a drink supply discharge end including a drink supply outlet valve operable between an open position and a closed position wherein:
• (a) each of the drink supply discharge ends is positioned above and spaced apart from the upper end of one of the channels;
• and (b) the drink supply outlet valve of said drink supply discharge end is not in direct fluid communication with said channel;
• at least one beverage requester connected to the housing;
• a carbonated and non-carbonated water supplier mounted in the housing, said water supplier adapted and positioned so as to selectively direct carbonated water or non-carbonated water into one of said channels through air from a position above the upper end of said channel when the beverage requester is activated;
• at plurality of drink supply outlet valve actuators mounted in the housing and operably connected to the drink supply outlet valves, wherein each drink supply outlet valve actuator is adapted to selectively cause the drink supply outlet valve of one of the drink supply discharge ends to open and dispense drink supply from said drink supply discharge end, through air and then into the channel below said drink supply discharge end when the beverage requested is activated.

A beverage dispensing apparatus for a refrigerator, said beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a fluid director mounted in the refrigerator, said fluid director having at least one channel;
• a drink supply canister holder mounted in the refrigerator at least partially above said channel, said drink supply canister holder adapted to hold at least one drink supply canister having a drink supply outlet valve, the drink supply canister holder including a movable drink supply canister securing member;
• a drink supply canister access door movably connected to the refrigerator and the drink supply canister securing member, wherein the drink supply canister access door and the drink supply canister securing member each have an open position and a closed position, and means for opening of the drink supply canister access door to cause the drink supply canister securing member to be in the open position and for closing of the drink supply canister access door to cause the drink supply canister securing member to be in closed position;
• a beverage requester connected to the refrigerator;
• a carbonated and non-carbonated water supplier mounted in the refrigerator, said water supplier adapted to selectively direct carbonated water or non-carbonated water into said channel when the beverage requester is activated;
• and
• a drink supply outlet valve actuator mounted in the refrigerator, said drink supply outlet valve actuator adapted to selectively cause the drink supply outlet valve to dispense drink supply from said drink supply canister into said channel when the beverage requester is activated.