A refrigerator and a method of controlling the same, the refrigerator including: a main body including a storage compartment; a door to open and close the storage compartment; and a beverage provider arrangeable with respect to the main body or the door. The beverage provider including: a water supplying unit; a storage to store water supplied by the water supplying unit; a filter, arrangeable inside the storage, and accommodate beverage powder so that ingredients from the beverage powder accommodated in filter are leached into the water; a sensor to obtain information related to a concentration of a beverage produced to contain the ingredients of the beverage powder in the water; and a processor configured to identify the concentration of the beverage based on the obtained information, and control the water supplying unit to supply the water in an amount which is adjusted based on the identified concentration.

A water purifier including a water discharge unit configured so that purified, cold, and hot water are selectably dischargeable therethrough, the water discharge unit including a rotatable body, a water discharge tube having a changeable position according to rotation of the body, and a display device including a first and a second light source, a light guide cover, and a guide case to guide light emitted from the first and second light source so as to be incident on the light guide cover, and to prevent mixing of the light from the first and the second light sources. The light guide cover projects the light from the first light source in a direction of water discharge from the water discharge tube, and projects the light from the second light source toward an outer peripheral surface of the display device to indicate which of purified, cold, and hot water is selected.

In a water purifier or other liquid dispenser, a sensor configured to transmit and receive a distance measuring signal is installed in a water discharge module moving vertically or disposed at the front of a main body, to sense a height of the inlet of a container accurately without a no-response duration of the sensor. Additionally, in the water purifier, the water discharge module discharges purified water at a point spaced a certain distance apart from the inlet of the container, to prevent the inlet of the container from contacting the lower surface of the water discharge module.

A liquid dispenser, such as a water purifier, in one embodiment includes a water discharger connector provided with a water discharge valve configured to control discharge of purified water and a water discharge pipe connected to the water discharge valve, and a water discharger coupled to an upper side of the water discharger connector, and provided with a connector part that connects to the water discharge pipe based on fitted-coupling.

A liquid dispenser station includes a liquid dispenser configured to dispense liquid that passes through a filter. The filter is disposed within the liquid dispenser station. The liquid dispenser has an access door to provide access to the filter. The filter includes a key to open the access door.

A versatile water delivery system is disclosed. The versatile water delivery system includes one or more features - such as a quick-connect bubbler, a multipurpose connection mount, and/or an easy-to-use pushbutton - to enable the water delivery system to adaptably operate in a number of different environments for various types of users.

A water-dispensing device includes a source water intake, a spigot, and first and second filters arranged between the intake and the spigot. The first filter includes a first inlet and outlet. At least the first inlet includes a first electrically controlled valve for selectively placing the first filter in fluid communication with the intake. The second filter includes a second inlet and outlet. At least the second inlet includes a second electrically controlled valve for selectively placing the second filter in fluid communication with the intake. A controller is configured to: (i) receive a water selection from a user, and (ii) configure the first and second valves based on the selection such that water flowing from the intake toward the spigot will enter any of the first and second filters corresponding to the selection and bypass any of the first and second filters that do not correspond to the selection.

The present invention relates to a water purifier control method and module, and a water purifier system using same, which can provide customized services for each of multiple users. The water purifier system according to the present invention can provide user-customized services according to a container (for example, a cup) that a user intends to use, and can provide specific-user-dedicated customized services even though the water purifier system can be used by the multiple users.

An apparatus for transferring a liquid includes a conduit, a strainer housing, and a flow control reversing valve. The conduit has an inlet, an outlet, and a centerline extending from a first end to a second end. The strainer housing houses a strainer basket and has an inlet, an outlet, and a centerline extending from a first end to a second end. The flow control reversing valve has a valve body and a valve member. The valve body has a centerline extending from a front side to a rear side. The valve member is movable between a first position wherein liquid flows from a first port to a second port, and a second position wherein liquid flows from the second port to the first port. Each of the longitudinal centerlines of the conduit, the strainer housing, and the flow control reversing valve is substantially vertically aligned with one another.

Systems and methods for dispensing consumable liquids are disclosed. An example networked system includes a server and a plurality of beverage dispenser stations. Each of the beverage dispenser stations includes a filler including a filler outlet configured to deliver a beverage into a container, an RFID reader configured to read an RFID tag fixed to a water filter through which water for the beverage is to flow, and a controller. The controller is configured determine a duration-of-use of the water filter and a volume of water that has passed through the water filter. Each of the beverage dispenser stations also includes a network communications interface configured to communicate the duration-of-use and the volume of water to the networked administrative server to track use of the water filter among the plurality of beverage dispenser stations.