A countertop appliance, as provided herein, may include a dispenser casing, a water path, a water filter, a dispenser valve, an output storage tank, an internal storage valve, and an ice maker. The dispenser casing may define an interior cavity. The water path may be enclosed within the interior cavity. The water path may define a water inlet and an assembly water outlet. The output storage tank may be disposed along the water path to hold a preset volume of water upstream from the assembly water outlet. The internal storage valve may be disposed along the water path and configured to maintain the preset volume of water within the output storage tank. The ice maker may be downstream from the output storage tank to receive water therefrom.

A contactless interface for a beverage dispenser including a sensor and circuitry. The sensor has a field of view and is configured to sense an object located in a detection zone of the sensor. The detection zone is an area within the field of view and at a distance less than a maximum detection distance from the sensor. The circuitry is configured to output a detection signal while the object is sensed within the detection zone. The detection signal is an electrical signal.

The present disclosure relates to a water purifier that ejects hot water and purified water, and the water purifier includes a housing forming a storage space, a filter provided inside the housing to purify water supplied from an external water supply source, a water ejection nozzle provided on the outside of the housing and configured to eject the water passing through the filter, a hot water module forming a heating flow path through which the purified water passing through the filter passes and configured to instantaneously heat the purified water passing through the heating flow path into hot water when hot water is ejected, a hot water flow path configured to guide the hot water passing through the hot water module toward the water ejection nozzle; and a controller configured to control the operation of the hot water module, in which, when purified water is ejected, the controller turns off the hot water module, and the purified water discharged from the hot water module is ejected to the water ejection nozzle through the hot water flow path.

A cold water production apparatus and method are provided. A cold water production apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention can comprise: an apparatus body; a water tank which is provided in the apparatus body and which accommodates water flowing in from a water supply source; a cold water production pipe which is provided in the apparatus body so as to be connected to the water tank, and which allows the water accommodated in the water tank to flow thereto, move therein and then be discharged; and a cooling unit which is mounted on the outer surface of the apparatus body, and which cools the apparatus body so that the water accommodated in the water tank and the water flowing in the cold water production pipe is cooled.

Disclosed herein are a water purifying device and a method for controlling the same. The water purifying device is characterized in that a water discharge module capable of moving vertically is provided with a sensor. Specifically, in the water purifying device of one embodiment, the sensor may measure a height of a container, by transmitting and receiving a signal for measuring a distance at a first point of the water discharge module, and may detect both a height of the inlet of the container and a water level, by transmitting and receiving the signal and measuring a water level at a second point of the water discharge module.

A water purifier includes a valve comprising a plurality of valves configured to control a direction of water flow; an integrated water way part in which the valve is inserted along one predetermined direction and a plurality of water ways connected with the valves are provided; and a case covering the valve and the integrated water way part, in a state where the valve and the integrated water way are coupled to each other, the case having one side that is open and closed to expose the integrated water way outside.

A water purifier includes a main body including a water supply pipe provided therein and a water chute connected to the main body to discharge drinking water. The water chute is capable of rotating about the main body in a left and right direction and has a length adjustable in a forward and backward direction and an upward and downward direction.

A refrigerator includes a main body that defines a storage space, a door configured to open or close the storage space, and a dispenser located in the door and configured to dispense cooled water and purified water. The refrigerator also includes a purified water input part that inputs a command for dispensing the purified water, a cooled water input part that inputs a command for dispensing the cooled water, and a dispensing amount input part that sets an amount of purified water to be dispensed based on the purified water being selected through the purified water input part. The refrigerator further includes a filter device located within the storage space to purify water supplied from a water supply source, and a water tank storing water that has passed through the filter device in a cooled state.

A water dispenser which is connected to a pure water source and used for dispensing pure water includes: an arm mounting unit; a water dispensing gun including a nozzle for discharging pure water; a holding unit for holding the water dispensing gun; and at least two arms connecting the holding unit to the arm mounting unit. The at least two arms constitute a parallel link mechanism in which a trajectory of each arm when the at least two arms move is within the same vertical plane.

A water purifier or other liquid dispenser may sense a height of the inlet of a container accurately through an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver that are disposed at different positions of a water discharge module moving vertically. Additionally, in the water purifier, the water discharge module may discharge purified water at a point spaced a certain distance apart from the inlet of the container, based on infrared sensing, thereby preventing the inlet of the container from contacting the lower surface of the water discharge module.