A water purifier that includes: a main body including: a filter unit, a cooling unit, and a heating unit; a first water tube through which water purified by the filter unit or water cooled by the cooling unit passes; a second water tube through which water heated by the heating unit passes; a water discharge unit that protrudes from a portion of the main body; and a water discharge cock (i) that downwardly protrudes from the water discharge unit, (ii) that is coupled to the first water tube and the second water tube, and (iii) that is configured to discharge water purified by the filter unit or water cooled by the cooling unit in a first stream and discharge water heated by the heating unit in a second stream, wherein the first stream is separated from the second stream is disclosed.

Exemplary embodiments include tanks for cooling liquid where at least two thermoelectric chips come into contact with and cool a plurality of conductive fins that each extend into the interior of the tank where they come into contact with and thereby chill fluid as it is housed in and flows between two connected chambers within the tank.

A monitoring and reminding system for water dispenser devices is provided, in that sensors are provided to detect the volume of the water buckets installed in the water dispenser device and the detecting results are transferred to a processing unit. Based on volume of water in the water bucket and update condition of the water bucket in the water dispenser device, volume of water consumed by a customer can be derived. Then relative reminding sentences are determine and provided to users. Therefore, supplement of water can be performed in advance and customers and managers can understand the whole operations of the system based on the data in the customer database and the operation results from the statistical unit. Furthermore such operation can be performed automatically so as to greatly promote convenience and efficiency of water supplement and message communication.

A refrigerator utilizes a quick fill dispenser that incorporates a fluid storage receptacle that is easily removable for cleaning and/or dispensing independently of the refrigerator.

A beverage storage container is described. The beverage storage container includes a removable core containing a viscous temperature sensitive fluid and a containing vessel base configured to hold the temperature sensitive core. The beverage storage container also includes a containing vessel body configured to be in thermal connection with the removable core; and a thermoplastic insulator configured to prevent rapid transfer of temperature between the removable core and the containing vessel body.

A refrigeration appliance includes a refrigerated inner space and a refrigeration appliance door for closing the refrigerated inner space. The refrigeration appliance door includes a dispenser area with a drink dispenser device on an exterior of the refrigeration appliance door. The refrigeration appliance door has a dispenser door and the dispenser door is constructed to close the dispenser area.

A networked system for providing and maintaining a set of liquid dispenser stations is described. The fluid dispensers communicate with a managing/supervisory cloud server via an interposed base station. The fluid dispensers communicate locally with the base station via wireless communication network links. The base station operates as an accumulator of status/usage information provided by the dispenser stations and bridge for passing information and control commands between the cloud server and the individual dispenser stations. The dispenser stations are configured with control processors (controllers) to facilitate performing a variety of local control operations associated with dispensing liquids that have been cooled (or heated) prior to dispensing by the dispenser stations. Additionally, the dispenser stations cooperatively operate with the cloud server (via the base station) to support a variety of real time control and maintenance operations relating to the dispenser stations operating at potentially thousands of distinct geographic locations.

A water cooling apparatus and a water purifier having a water cooling apparatus is provided. The water cooling apparatus may include a case, a water tank provided within the case, a cooling block provided to be in contact with the water tank and to cool the water tank through heat exchange, a thermoelectric element having one side in contact with the cooling block and provided so as to transfer heat from the one side to another side of the thermoelectric element when power is applied thereto, an insulator provided within the case and that covers the water tank and the cooling block, and a heat dissipation block provided outside of the case and provided to be in contact with the other side of the thermoelectric element to dissipate heat from the other side of the thermoelectric element.

A refrigerator appliance having a quick fill dispenser to rapidly fill a container. The refrigerator may include a water storage receptacle. The water storage receptacle may be in fluid communication with a water filter. The water storage receptacle may dispense water at a flow rate greater than the flow rate entering the water storage receptacle. A valve may be downstream of the water storage receptacle.

A beverage dispensing system for selectively dispensing a beverage in a vehicle includes a vehicle that has a cabin and an outer surface. A refrigerator is positioned within the vehicle and the refrigerator contains and cools a beverage. A dispensing unit is fluidly coupled to the refrigerator and the dispensing unit selectively dispenses the beverage. The dispensing unit is positioned within the cabin to be accessible to a driver of the vehicle. A charging unit is coupled to the vehicle thereby facilitating the charging to be exposed to sunlight. The charging unit converts sunlight into electrical energy and the charging unit is electrically coupled to the refrigerator and the dispensing unit.