Liquid dispensing apparatus and method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to liquid dispensing apparatuses, and in particular to apparatuses for dispensing a dispensed liquid.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to liquid dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for dispensing dispensed liquids. Background Technology

[0002] The following is a list of references considered relevant to the background of this disclosure:

[0003] -US 2005 / 279689

[0004] -US 2008 / 041073

[0005] -US 2008 / 256972

[0006] -US 2012 / 318722

[0007] The acknowledgment of the above references in this document should not be construed as implying that these references are in any way related to the patentability of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0008] background

[0009] There is a growing need to expand the use of liquid distribution equipment to apply a variety of prescribed processes to the distributed liquids. This is particularly beneficial in scenarios where the liquid undergoes one or more treatments (e.g., filtration, purification, distillation, disinfection, etc.) before being processed and / or distributed to the end user. For example, in a water distribution system, the water flow supplied from a pressurized water source (tap water) to the system typically undergoes one or more filtration, purification and / or disinfection processes, and then the treated water flow is heated or cooled before being distributed for use.

[0010] For example, a water dispenser described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005 / 279689, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, includes an inlet adapted to receive water from a water supply system, a water filter operable to filter water received from the water supply system via the inlet, an outlet operable to provide filtered water received from the water filter, an overflow collector, and a pivotally mounted water container support equipped with a drainage device having a first operating orientation located below the outlet and a second non-operating orientation not located below the outlet, the first operating orientation defining a downwardly sloping overflow drainage path in communication with the overflow collector.

[0011] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008 / 041073 discloses a seafood dispensing system including a dispenser mounted for selectively dispensing seafood, a display disposed on the dispenser, and sensors operatively coupled to the dispenser. The dispensing system also includes sensors for determining fault conditions. If a fault condition exists, it is only displayed on the display when the dispensing system is operated. The seafood dispensing system also includes a water filter, wherein a fault condition indicates that the water filter needs to be replaced.

[0012] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008 / 256972 describes a water dispenser for distributing hot, cold, and carbonated water, all of which are filtered. The dispenser includes a housing defining a front dispensing surface, a back surface, opposing side walls, and a bottom wall. A filter is mounted within the housing and has a rear end accessible to a water source and a front end accessible to the front of the housing for filter replacement. A dispensing tap is located at the front of the housing. A hot water tank is located on one side of the housing and has an inlet for receiving filtered water from the filter and a hot water outlet near the dispensing tap for supplying hot water thereto. An ice storage tank assembly is located on the opposite side of the housing and has an inlet for receiving filtered water from the filter and a cold water outlet near the dispensing tap for supplying cold water thereto. A compressor is mounted on the bottom wall of the housing and coupled to one end of the ice storage tank evaporator. A condenser coil is mounted on the back of the housing and coupled between the opposite ends of the compressor and the evaporator. The carbonator has an inlet for receiving filtered water from the filter and an outlet near the dispensing tap for supplying carbonated water to it.

[0013] The filter described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012 / 318722 includes a housing, a filter medium positioned within the housing, and a one-bit memory element coupled to the housing. The filter medium has a service life related to the amount of fluid passing through it. The one-bit memory element has a first state indicating that the service life of the filter medium has not yet expired and a second state indicating that the service life of the filter medium has expired. The one-bit memory element can be illustratively represented as a fusible link.

[0014] Overview

[0015] This application provides liquid dispensing apparatus and related methods. To date, liquid dispensing systems have typically been designed to be integrated into various applications residing within the same equipment. Such equipment typically uses one or more valves to controllably direct processed (e.g., filtered, sterilized, distilled, purified, etc.) liquid flows to designated liquid processing and dispensing components located within the equipment. Each liquid processing and dispensing component is configured to receive the processed liquid flow, apply one or more processing methods to it (e.g., cooling, heating, freezing), and immediately distribute the processed liquid product to the end user or store it in a suitable container for future dispensing and use.

[0016] This approach of integrating several liquid processing and dispensing components into a single unit has several drawbacks, because the processed liquid flow can be directed to a single processing and dispensing unit at any given time. Such equipment typically dispenses only one selected processed liquid product at any given time, making it impossible to dispense several processed liquid products simultaneously. Furthermore, end users are often reluctantly required to purchase expensive equipment with several integrated liquid processing and dispensing components that are not necessarily necessary, and they themselves cannot define a specific combination of their chosen liquid processing and dispensing components within such equipment.

[0017] The liquid dispensing apparatus disclosed herein overcomes these drawbacks by concatenating one or more independent secondary processing and dispensing units (also referred to herein as secondary units) with a main processing unit (also referred to herein as the main unit) so that each secondary unit can receive processed liquid from the main unit and store it in its liquid reservoir. Thus, one or more processes can be applied simultaneously, separately, and independently to the processed liquid in the main unit and / or to the processed liquid stored in the reservoir of each secondary processing and dispensing unit, for simultaneously providing their final liquid products to the end user at any given time. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the main unit comprises one or more liquid processing and dispensing components. However, the innovative method disclosed herein allows for the construction of a substantially simplified main unit with a limited number of liquid processing facilities (e.g., heating and / or cooling), thus allowing for a substantially inexpensive and easy-to-maintain design for the main unit.

[0018] The liquid distribution apparatus disclosed herein is not limited to the series connection of secondary processing and distribution units, but as described below, also allows two or more secondary processing and distribution units to be connected in parallel with the main unit or another secondary processing and distribution unit.

[0019] In possible embodiments, one or more secondary units may be configured to store and distribute processed liquid received from the primary unit and stored in its liquid reservoirs only when needed, i.e., without subjecting it to any further processing. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, at least one secondary unit is also configured to subject the processed liquid to one or more processing methods before distributing it to the end user. For example, but not limited to, the processed liquid supplied by the primary unit and stored in the reservoirs of the secondary units may be filtered and / or sterilized tap water, and the secondary units according to possible embodiments may be configured to produce ice, one or more beverages (e.g., coffee, tea and / or carbonated water and / or juice), purified water, oxygenated (oxygen-enriched) water, mineralized water, energized water, etc.

[0020] Optionally, in possible embodiments, one or more secondary units are configured to perform one or more processing operations on the processed liquid product online upon receipt from the main unit, and then immediately distribute the processed liquid to the end user; that is, the processed water is not stored therein, thus eliminating the need for a storage device in such a secondary unit. For example, but not limited to, one or more processing operations performed by one or more secondary units may include online heating of the processed liquid without pre-storing the processed liquid.

[0021] The primary unit can be configured to continuously supply the resulting processed aquatic products to the secondary units, using, for example, level-sensitive and / or pressure-sensitive valves to ensure that their liquid reservoirs are always completely filled. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, each secondary unit is configured to generate a control signal requesting a supply of processed liquid from the primary unit whenever the level of processed liquid in its reservoir drops below a predetermined threshold level. The control signal can be transmitted via wires and / or wirelessly (e.g., ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) connected between the primary and secondary units. The primary unit can be configured to receive the request control signal from the secondary unit and accordingly activate the corresponding liquid supply valve to flow the processed liquid product from there to the corresponding secondary unit until its reservoir is full.

[0022] Communication modules may be provided in the main unit and secondary unit for transmitting control signals and other information between the main unit and secondary unit and / or with external devices / systems (e.g., smart devices such as tablets or smartphones) and / or remote computer systems and / or servers for processing, monitoring and / or maintenance.

[0023] Optionally, in some embodiments, the request control signal generated by the secondary unit preferably includes an indication of the amount of processed liquid required for the secondary unit to fill its reservoir. For this purpose, one or more level sensors can be used in each secondary unit to measure the level of the processed liquid stored in the reservoir of that secondary unit and generate level signals / data indicating the level. Thus, in some embodiments, the primary unit includes one or more flow meters to measure the amount of processed liquid supplied to the secondary units and generate flow signals / data indicating that amount, and accordingly adjust the activation and deactivation of the liquid supply valves. Thus, the primary unit can be configured to flow processed liquid product to the secondary units until an indication is received from the secondary units, for example, based on the secondary unit's level sensors, that the secondary unit's reservoir is full, and / or until the required amount of processed liquid product has been supplied to the secondary units based on flow signals / data from one or more flow meters of the primary unit.

[0024] In some embodiments, the main unit includes at least one liquid treatment (e.g., filtration and / or sterilization) device and a corresponding at least one flow meter coupled to the at least one liquid treatment device to measure the amount of treated liquid thus produced. The main unit may use one or more main control units configured to receive and process request control signals from secondary units, activate one or more controllable liquid supply valves to supply the resulting treated liquid to the secondary units and / or their liquid distributors (applying or not applying one or more liquid treatments), process flow data from one or more flow meters, and based on this, determine whether to deactivate one or more liquid supply valves whenever a requested amount of treated liquid has been supplied.

[0025] The secondary unit may also use one or more secondary control units to control the functions of the secondary unit, supply processed liquid to the secondary unit, and / or operate any liquid processing and / or dispensing components of the secondary unit. The secondary control unit may be configured to process level signals / data generated by one or more level sensors of its liquid reservoir, based on which it determines whether the reservoir needs to be refilled, and, whenever necessary, generate a control signal requesting the primary unit to flow a defined amount of processed liquid to it.

[0026] Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, one or more cable assemblies are used to connect the primary and secondary units, each cable assembly being configured to provide fluid communication and electrical connection between the primary and secondary units. Thus, in some embodiments, the cable assemblies connecting the units include liquid conduits and wires. The liquid conduits of the cable assemblies are configured to flow processed liquid between the units, and the wires are used at least to transmit control signals between the units. In some embodiments, at least some of the wires in the cable assembly are used for power supply. Such power supply lines can be used to power one or more secondary control units and / or other components of the secondary units (e.g., liquid processing assemblies).

[0027] Therefore, the primary unit may be powered solely by the mains power system (e.g., general AC), and one or more secondary units may be configured to receive two or more separate power supplies. In some embodiments, a secondary unit may be configured to receive a first (general) power supply from the mains power system for powering its internal components (e.g., liquid processing components), and a secondary unit may be configured to receive a second (low-voltage) power supply from the primary unit via a cable assembly for powering one or more secondary control units. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, one or more primary control units are configured to control the power consumption of the primary and secondary units on the mains power system to prevent overload. For example, a secondary unit may be configured to request permission from the primary unit to activate its liquid processing components (e.g., heaters), and the primary unit may be configured to allow such a request whenever its liquid processing components are not thereby used.

[0028] One inventive aspect disclosed herein relates to a liquid distribution system comprising: at least one main liquid supply unit configured to receive a liquid stream and apply one or more treatments thereto; and one or more secondary liquid supply units fluidly coupled to the at least one main unit, the at least one main liquid supply unit being configured to selectively flow-feed treated liquid products to the at least one secondary liquid supply unit for distribution by its distributor. In some embodiments, the system includes one or more additional secondary liquid supply units fluidly coupled to the at least one secondary liquid supply unit. Optionally, the main liquid supply unit includes a distributor. The main liquid supply unit may be configured to selectively flow-feed treated aquatic products to its distributor and / or flow-feed to at least one secondary liquid supply unit.

[0029] In some embodiments, the system includes a filter device disposed in a main liquid supply unit for performing at least one treatment on the received liquid. Optionally, at least one liquid processing component is disposed in the main liquid supply unit and / or a secondary liquid supply unit for processing the processed liquid product prior to dispensing it. The at least one liquid processing component may be configured to apply at least one of the following to the processed liquid product: heating, cooling, freezing, evaporation, sterilization, purification, energization, or mineralization.

[0030] Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the system includes at least one flow sensing device configured to measure the amount of processed liquid product generated by the main liquid supply unit and generate a flow signal / data indicating that amount. Whenever the main liquid supply unit or one of one or more secondary liquid supply units needs processed liquid product, a controllable supply valve can be used to selectively flow liquid to the main liquid supply unit.

[0031] In some embodiments, the system includes at least one controllable dispensing valve configured to selectively flow processed liquid product to a dispenser in a main liquid supply unit. The system may use at least one main control unit configured and operable to control the dispensing of processed liquid product from the main liquid supply unit. Optionally, a user interface is used to receive user input. The at least one main control unit may be configured and operable to change the state of the at least one controllable dispensing valve based on the received user input. The at least one main control unit may be configured to control the dispensing of processed liquid product based on a flow signal / data generated by at least one flow sensing device.

[0032] In some embodiments, at least one reservoir is disposed within at least one liquid supply unit for storing a stream of processed liquid product therein. A controllable secondary supply valve may be used to control the flow of processed liquid product to the at least one reservoir. Optionally, at least one controllable secondary distribution valve is used to control the distribution of processed liquid product from the at least one reservoir.

[0033] At least one secondary control unit can be used to control: filling at least one reservoir with processed liquid product and / or dispensing processed liquid product from at least one reservoir. In some embodiments, the system includes at least one cable assembly configured to be in fluid communication between a primary liquid supply unit and a secondary liquid supply unit, and electrically coupled between the primary and secondary liquid supply units. In some embodiments, the cable assembly includes at least one conduit for fluid communication between the primary and secondary liquid supply units and wires for electrical coupling between the primary and secondary liquid supply units. At least some of the wires may be power supply lines configured to supply electrical power from the primary liquid supply unit to at least one secondary liquid supply unit.

[0034] The primary and secondary control units can be configured and operable to implement an asynchronous communication protocol between the primary and secondary liquid supply units, defining the primary liquid supply unit as a slave and at least one secondary liquid supply unit as a master. Alternatively, the primary liquid supply unit is defined as the master in the asynchronous communication protocol, and at least one secondary liquid supply unit is defined as a slave. This communication protocol can be configured to provide control of the primary liquid supply unit's consumption of shared system resources.

[0035] In some embodiments, the at least one secondary control unit is configured and operable to transmit a request for a flow of processed liquid product to at least one primary liquid supply unit. The at least one primary control unit may be configured and operable to receive and process the request generated by the secondary control unit, and determine the amount of processed liquid product to be flowably delivered to the secondary control unit based on the request.

[0036] At least one secondary control unit may be configured and operable to transmit a request to at least one primary fluid supply unit to activate its power-consuming process. Optionally, at least one primary control unit may be configured and operable to selectively approve or reject the request to activate the power-consuming process to prevent overload.

[0037] In some embodiments, the system includes at least one communication module configured to transmit signals / data between a primary liquid supply unit and / or a secondary liquid supply unit and an external device or system to monitor and / or operate the dispensing of processed liquid products. Optionally, the primary control unit and / or the secondary control unit are configured and operable to receive instructions from an external device or system to change the state of one of the at least one liquid supply unit, and / or perform maintenance and / or firmware updates and / or liquid processing on the at least one liquid supply unit.

[0038] The system optionally includes at least one user identification device configured to generate identification data for users of the main liquid supply unit and / or secondary liquid supply units. At least one control unit may be configured and operable to perform a user identification procedure using the identification data before or during liquid dispensing. Optionally, at least one control unit is configured and operable to record usage and / or preference data associated with each identified user. In a possible embodiment, at least one control unit is configured and operable to receive and monitor the personal consumption program of at least one identified user.

[0039] Another aspect of the invention disclosed herein relates to a liquid dispensing method, comprising: receiving a liquid stream through at least one main liquid supply unit; applying one or more treatments to the liquid stream received in the at least one main liquid supply unit to produce a treated liquid product; selectively flowing the treated liquid product from the at least one main liquid supply unit to at least one secondary liquid supply unit; and dispensing the treated liquid product through the at least one secondary liquid supply unit. In some embodiments, the method includes selectively dispensing the treated liquid product through a dispenser in the at least one main liquid supply unit.

[0040] In some embodiments, the application of one or more treatments includes filtering the received liquid. The method may include applying at least one liquid processing to the treated liquid product before dispensing the processed liquid product via a main liquid supply unit and / or a secondary liquid supply unit. Optionally, the at least one liquid processing includes at least one of the following: heating, cooling, freezing, evaporation, sterilization, purification, energy replenishment, and mineralization.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method includes measuring the amount of processed liquid product generated by a main liquid supply unit and generating a flow signal / data indicating that amount. The method may optionally include controlling the dispensing of processed liquid product from at least one main liquid supply unit based on the flow signal / data.

[0042] The method may include receiving user input and controlling the dispensing of processed liquid products based on the user input. Optionally, the method may include storing the processed liquid product stream in at least one reservoir disposed in at least one liquid supply unit. In a possible embodiment, the method includes transmitting signals / data between a primary liquid supply unit and a secondary liquid supply unit. In a possible embodiment, the method includes providing electrical power from at least one primary liquid supply unit to at least one secondary liquid supply unit.

[0043] In some possible embodiments, the method includes utilizing an asynchronous communication protocol between a primary liquid supply unit and secondary liquid supply units, defining at least one primary liquid supply unit as a slave device and at least one secondary liquid supply unit as a master device. Alternatively, the primary liquid supply unit is defined as a master device in the asynchronous communication protocol, and at least one secondary liquid supply unit is defined as a slave device. The method may optionally include providing control by the primary liquid supply unit over the consumption of shared resources of the liquid supply units.

[0044] The method may optionally include transmitting a request from at least one secondary control unit to at least one primary liquid supply unit for a processed liquid product stream. In some embodiments, the method includes transmitting a request to at least one primary liquid supply unit to activate a power-consuming process of at least one secondary control unit. Optionally, the method includes selectively approving or rejecting the request to activate the power-consuming process to prevent overload.

[0045] In one possible embodiment, the method includes transmitting signals / data between the primary liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply unit and external devices or systems for monitoring and / or operating the dispensing of processed liquid products. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, a user identification procedure is performed before or during liquid dispensing by the primary liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply unit. The method may include recording usage and / or preference data associated with each identified user, and receiving and monitoring the personal consumption items of at least one of the identified users. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0046] To understand the invention and how it can be practiced, embodiments will now be described by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise implied, the features shown in the drawings are intended to illustrate only some embodiments of the invention. In the drawings, similar reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts, and in the drawings:

[0047] Figure 1 A liquid dispensing device according to some possible embodiments is schematically shown;

[0048] Figure 2 Details of the main unit and secondary unit according to some possible embodiments are schematically shown;

[0049] Figure 3 A power management scheme for a liquid distribution device according to some possible embodiments is schematically illustrated;

[0050] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating power management in a liquid dispensing device according to some possible embodiments;

[0051] Figure 5 The connectivity between the main unit and the secondary unit is illustrated schematically according to some possible embodiments;

[0052] Figure 6 Communication in a liquid dispensing device is illustrated schematically according to some possible embodiments;

[0053] Figure 7 This is a flowchart schematically illustrating a water distribution process performed by the main unit according to some possible embodiments; and

[0054] Figure 8 This is a flowchart schematically illustrating a water distribution process performed by a secondary distribution unit according to some possible embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0055] One or more specific embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered merely illustrative in all respects and not in any way limiting. To provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of the actual implementation are described in the specification. Elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale or in a correct proportional relationship, which is not important. Rather, the focus is on clearly illustrating the principles of the invention so that those skilled in the art, once they understand the principles of the subject matter disclosed herein, can make and use liquid dispensing schemes. The invention may be provided in other specific forms and embodiments without departing from the essential characteristics described herein.

[0056] This application provides a liquid distribution apparatus configured to distribute one or more liquid products to a plurality of liquid distribution units. The fluid distribution apparatus disclosed herein includes at least one main processing unit (and optionally a distribution unit), and at least one secondary distribution unit in fluid communication with the main processing unit. The at least one main processing unit is configured to receive a source liquid stream (e.g., tap water) and, as needed, apply one or more treatments (e.g., filtration, disinfection, purification, distillation, etc.) to the received source liquid stream. The at least one main processing unit may be configured to supply the resulting treated liquid stream to its distributor and / or at least one secondary distribution unit.

[0057] The at least one main processing unit accordingly includes at least one liquid processing device (e.g., a filter) configured to produce a processed liquid product stream. A flow meter may be used to measure the amount of processed liquid produced by the at least one main processing device. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the at least one main processing unit further includes one or more liquid processing components (e.g., cooling and / or heating), and the at least one main processing unit may be accordingly configured to apply one or more liquid processing techniques to the processed liquid product stream before distributing it through its distributor.

[0058] In some embodiments, at least one main processing unit includes one or more reservoirs. For example, but not limited to, at least one main processing unit may have a corresponding reservoir associated with each type of liquid processing. Thus, at least one main processing unit may be configured to store specific amounts of each type of processed liquid product in its corresponding reservoir, ready for dispensing from it at any time (e.g., storing specific amounts of heated liquid product in a hot liquid reservoir, specific amounts of cooled liquid product in a cold liquid reservoir, etc.). In this way, at least one main processing unit can dispense processed liquid products from its reservoirs immediately as needed.

[0059] Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, at least one main processing unit is a liquid processing apparatus implemented without self-dispensing capability and is configured to supply the resulting processed liquid product to at least one secondary unit. In such embodiments, at least one main processing unit may be an under-sink (i.e., hidden) unit. In this case, it is not necessary to provide liquid processing components and / or liquid storage tanks in at least one main processing unit.

[0060] At least one secondary dispensing unit may be equipped with one or more liquid processing components, which can then be used to apply one or more processing methods to the processed liquid product prior to dispensing the processed liquid product via its dispenser. For this purpose, at least one secondary dispensing unit may be equipped with a liquid reservoir configured to receive and hold a flow of processed liquid product from at least one primary processing unit. One or more level sensors may be used to measure the level of the processed liquid product contained in the liquid reservoir of the at least one secondary dispensing unit and to generate a level signal / data indicating that level.

[0061] The at least one secondary unit can be configured as a gravity-based liquid dispenser, for example, having a mechanical dispensing valve configured to flow liquid stored in its reservoir by gravity. In this case, dispensing liquid from one or more secondary units can be performed at any given time and simultaneously with dispensing liquid from at least one primary unit (assuming it is equipped with a dispenser). In possible embodiments, one or more secondary units can be configured for pressurized dispensing (e.g., pressurized dispensing as in the primary unit), and in this case, the system can be configured to prevent two or more units from dispensing liquid simultaneously, and / or from simultaneously supplying and dispensing liquid, thereby preventing flow rate loss. For example, in some embodiments, the filling of secondary units is a pressurized process, and in this case, the system is configured to prevent the filling of at least one secondary unit and the simultaneous dispensing of liquid product through the primary unit (assuming it is equipped with a dispenser).

[0062] For example, but not limited to, if the liquid being dispensed is water, one or more liquid processing components of the secondary dispensing unit may be configured to produce ice cubes, one or more beverages (e.g., coffee, tea and / or carbonated water and / or juice), purified water, oxygenated (oxygen-enriched) water, mineralized water, energy-boosting water, and so on.

[0063] At least one main control unit may be used in at least one main processing unit to receive, from at least one secondary dispensing unit, a request for processed liquid product to fill its liquid reservoir. At least one secondary control unit may be used in at least one secondary dispensing unit to process level signals / data from at least one level sensor and generate a request for processed liquid product from the main processing unit. The request for processed liquid product may include an indication of the amount of processed liquid product required to fill the liquid reservoir of at least one secondary dispensing unit.

[0064] Requests for processed liquid products can be transmitted via wires and / or wirelessly. In some embodiments, one or more cable assemblies (each cable assembly including a liquid conduit and wires) are used to connect the primary and secondary units. The liquid conduits of the cable assemblies are configured to flow the processed liquid products between the units, and the wires are used to transmit control signals and / or data between the units. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, at least some of the wires of the cable assembly are power supply lines. As described in detail below, the power supply lines can be used to power one or more devices / components in the secondary distribution unit.

[0065] To outline several exemplary features, process stages, and principles of the invention, examples of liquid dispensing devices are schematically and graphically illustrated in the figures, intended for dispensing aquatic products. These liquid dispensing devices are shown as an exemplary implementation demonstrating several features, processes, and principles for dispensing a variety of different aquatic products; however, they can also be used for other applications / liquids and can be implemented in different variations. Therefore, this description will be carried out with reference to the illustrated examples, but it should be understood that once the principles are understood from the description, explanation, and figures herein, the invention enumerated in the appended claims can also be implemented in numerous other ways. All such variations, as well as any other modifications that will be apparent to those skilled in the art and useful in liquid dispensing applications, can be suitably adopted and are all intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0066] Figure 1 A water distribution device 10 according to some possible embodiments is schematically shown. The water distribution device 10 includes a main processing unit 11 and one or more secondary distribution units A1, A2, ..., An in fluid communication therewith. The main processing unit 11 is configured to receive a source water flow (e.g., tap water) 11r via a supply conduit 13 connected to its inlet port 11i and to apply one or more treatments to the supplied source water flow 11r. For example, but not limited to, in some embodiments, the main processing unit 11 includes a filtration device 11t configured to filter the source water flow 11r received via inlet 11i. The treated water from the filtration device 11t is flow-through supplied to a distributor device 11d of the main processing unit 11 and / or flow-through supplied to one or more secondary distribution units A1, A2, ..., An via one or more conduits 12 connected to the corresponding outlet ports O1, O2, ..., On of the main unit 11.

[0067] In some embodiments, each outlet port O1, O2, ..., On of the main unit includes a normally closed check valve. Figure 5 The normally closed check valve (Vx) is configured to allow flow through it only when a suitable conduit is connected to it; for example, the valve at the outlet port can be configured to change to an open state in response to the connection of conduit 12 to it. In a possible embodiment, the valve (Vx) located in one or more outlets O1, O2, ..., On of the main unit 11 is a normally closed electrically controlled valve that can be controllably changed to an open state regardless of whether the secondary distribution units A1, A2, ..., An are connected to the main unit 11.

[0068] Each secondary distribution unit Ai (where 1 ≤ i ≤ n, and i is an integer) has at least one inlet port Pn that can be connected to conduit 12 for receiving treated water flow from main unit 11. Optionally, one or more secondary distribution units also have at least one outlet port Po for transferring the received treated water flow to at least one additional corresponding secondary distribution unit. In this way, several secondary distribution units can be connected in series to allow a continuous supply of treated water from main unit 11 to multiple secondary distribution units. Figure 1 An example illustrates such a series connection of several secondary distribution units, wherein secondary distribution unit A1 is connected in series with multiple other secondary distribution units b, c, ..., n via conduit 12, and conduit 12 connects the outlet port Po of one secondary distribution unit to the inlet port Pn of another secondary distribution unit within the secondary distribution unit.

[0069] In some embodiments, each of the inlet port Pn and / or outlet port Po of the secondary unit includes a normally closed check valve. Figure 5 The normally closed check valve (Vx) is configured to allow flow only when a suitable conduit 12 is connected to it; for example, the valve at the inlet / outlet port Pn / Po can be configured to change to an open state in response to the connection of the conduit to it. In possible embodiments, the valves (Vx) located in one or more inlet / outlet ports Pn / Po are normally closed electrically controlled valves whose state is controlled by their respective secondary units. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the conduit 12 for connecting each secondary unit is integrally assembled to the unit as part of that unit, so that it cannot be disconnected from the unit. In such embodiments, the valves (Vx) located in the inlet / outlet ports Pn / Po are normally closed electrically controlled valves directly assembled into the conduit 12 within the secondary unit.

[0070] The main processing unit 11 also includes a controllable valve (e.g., a solenoid valve) V1 coupled to a conduit connecting the inlet port 11i and the filter device 11t. The controllable valve V1 is configured to receive a control signal C1 whenever its distributor device 11d and / or secondary distribution unit Ai requires processed aquatic products, and accordingly flow source water 11r to the filter device 11t. An additional controllable valve V2 may be used in the conduit connecting the filter device 11t and the distributor device 11d to control the distribution of processed aquatic products produced by the filter device 11t via the distributor device 11d in response to a control signal C2.

[0071] Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the main processing unit 11 includes one or more flow sensing devices (e.g., flow meters) 11m for measuring the amount of processed aquatic products supplied to its distributor devices and / or secondary distribution units Ai, and generating flow signals / data S1 indicating that amount. In this particular and non-limiting example, a single flow sensing device 11m is coupled to the outlet of the filter device 11t; however, for the same purpose, it may similarly be coupled to the inlet of the filter device 11t.

[0072] One or more control units 11c may be used in the main processing unit 11 to generate control signals C1 and / or C2 whenever processed aquatic products are required, to control the dispensing of processed aquatic products by the dispenser device 11d. One or more control units 11c may have one or more processors and a memory (not shown), configured and operable to execute program instructions for determining when control signals C1 and / or C2 should be generated. The one or more control units 11c may also be configured to receive and process flow signals / data S1 generated by one or more flow sensing devices 11m, and based thereon determine whether the conditions for generating control signals C1 and / or C2 are met. For example, one or more control units 11c may be configured to process flow signals / data S1 generated by one or more flow sensing devices 11m, and adjust control signals C1 and / or C2 accordingly if it is determined that a certain amount of processed liquid water has been supplied.

[0073] Figure 1 Examples illustrate the parallel connection of secondary allocation units A1, A2, ..., An with primary unit 11, and the series connection of secondary allocation units b, c, ..., n with secondary allocation unit A1. It should be noted that secondary allocation units b, c, ..., n can be similarly connected to any other secondary allocation unit A2, ..., An, or directly connected to primary unit 11. It should also be noted that secondary allocation units can be connected to the primary unit solely through parallel connections, solely through series connections, or any other combination thereof.

[0074] Figure 2 A water distribution device 20 is schematically shown, which includes a main processing unit 21 and a secondary distribution unit 23. Note that the water distribution device 20 may include direct connection to the main processing unit 21 and / or connection to, for example, a secondary distribution unit 23. Figure 1 The example illustrates multiple secondary allocation units 23 connected in series, such as the secondary allocation unit Ai.

[0075] The main processing unit 21 includes Figure 1Some components used in the main processing unit 11 shown are indicated by the same reference numerals, and their functions and operations are described in the accompanying drawings. Figure 2 The main processing unit 21 is basically similar to the previous one. It also includes one or more water treatment components C1, Ht and corresponding controllable valves Vc, Vh, which are configured to apply one or more processing methods to the treated aquatic products received from the filtration device 11t. The corresponding controllable valves Vc, Vh control the flow of the treated aquatic products from the filtration device 11t to it. The main processing unit 21 also includes a user interface device 11f, which is configured (e.g., using buttons and / or a touchscreen / touchpad (not shown)) to receive user input and / or (e.g., using a liquid crystal display—LCD or touchscreen (not shown)) to present information to the user. The user interface device 11f is configured to exchange signals / data Cf with at least one control unit 21c indicating user input and / or information thus presented to the user.

[0076] At least one control unit 21c is configured to receive user input (Cf) from user interface device 11f and generate control signals Cc, Ch based thereon for applying one or more processing steps to the treated aquatic products produced by filtration device 11t via components C1, Ht. For example, but not limited to, control unit 21c may be configured and operable to generate control signals Cc for controlling the state of controllable valve Vc to cool the treated aquatic products flown to distributor 11d using cooling processing component C1 and / or control signals Ch for controlling the state of controllable valve Vh to heat the treated aquatic products flown to distributor 11d using heating processing component Ht. Optionally, the control unit 21c may be configured and operable to simultaneously generate control signals Cc and Ch for controlling the states of controllable valves Vc and Vh based on user input (Cf) to distribute a mixture of heated and cooled aquatic products fed into the distributor 11d at the user-desired temperature (or within the desired temperature range) using the cooling processing component C1 and the heating processing component Ht.

[0077] In some embodiments, the main processing unit 21 includes one or more reservoirs rc, rh. For example, but not limited to, the main processing unit 21 may have a corresponding reservoir rc, rh for each water processing component C1, Ht, the corresponding reservoir rc, rh being configured to store a defined amount of processed aquatic product thus produced. Figure 2In this system, reservoir rc is used to store cold water products generated by the cooling processing assembly C1, and reservoir rh is used to store hot water products generated by the heating processing assembly Ht. At least one control unit 21c may be accordingly configured to generate a control signal Cc for flowing the processed aquatic products to the cooling processing assembly C1 to fill the cold water reservoir rc when needed, and / or generate a control signal Ch for flowing the processed aquatic products to the heating processing assembly Ht to fill the hot water reservoir rh when needed.

[0078] In some embodiments, the secondary distribution device 23 includes a reservoir 25 for storing the processed seafood stream received therefrom via its inlet port Pn'. One or more water level sensing devices 25s may be used to measure the water level contained within the reservoir 25 and generate a measured water level signal / data 25v indicating the water level. The secondary distribution unit 23 may be configured to extract the processed seafood stream from the main processing unit 21 whenever the water level of the processed seafood stored in the reservoir 25 reaches or falls below a defined minimum water level threshold. The secondary distribution device 23 may also be configured to terminate the processed seafood stream from the secondary distribution unit 23 whenever the water level of the processed seafood stored in its reservoir 25 reaches or exceeds a defined maximum water level threshold.

[0079] In a possible embodiment, the secondary distribution unit 23 is configured to periodically (e.g., every 30 minutes) request (e.g., a predetermined minimum amount) of processed seafood from the main processing unit 21, regardless of the amount of processed seafood contained in the reservoir 25. The secondary distribution unit 23 may be configured to stop the flow of processed seafood supplied to the main unit 21 whenever a measured level signal / data 25v from one or more level sensing devices 25s indicates overflow (e.g., reaching the top level sensor).

[0080] A controllable valve (e.g., a solenoid valve) Vs coupled to a conduit connecting the inlet port Pn' and the reservoir 25 can be used to control the flow of processed aquatic products received via the inlet port Pn' of the secondary unit 23. One or more secondary control units 23c can be used in the secondary distribution unit 23 to process measured level signals / data 25v generated by one or more level sensing devices 25s and, based thereon, generate control signals Cs for controlling the state of the controllable valve Vs, for example, according to defined minimum and maximum level thresholds. One or more secondary control units 23c may have one or more data processing units and a memory (not shown), and are configured and operable to execute program instructions to generate control signals for operating the secondary distribution unit Ai.

[0081] A controllable valve Vd can be used to control the flow of treated seafood from the reservoir 25 to the distributor device 23d of the secondary distribution unit Ai. The secondary distribution unit may use one or more water processing components 24 coupled to a conduit connecting the reservoir 25 and the distributor device 23d to apply one or more processing methods to the treated seafood being flow-fed from the reservoir 25 to the distributor 23d. For example, but not limited to, one or more water processing components 24 may be configured to apply at least one of the following processing methods to the treated seafood from the reservoir 25: heating, cooling, freezing (e.g., for ice production), carbonation, beverage preparation, energy replenishment, mineralization, purification, etc.

[0082] The secondary distribution unit Ai may also include a user interface device 23f, which is configured (e.g., using buttons and / or a touchscreen / touchpad (not shown)) to receive user input and / or (e.g., using a liquid crystal display—LCD or touchscreen (not shown)) to present information to the user. The user interface device 23f is configured to exchange signals / data Cr with at least one secondary control unit 23c indicating user input and / or information thus presented to the user. Therefore, at least one secondary control unit 23c may be configured and operable to process the signals / data Cr from the user interface device 23f and, based thereon, generate a control signal Cd for controlling the state of the controllable valve Vd whenever it is necessary to distribute processed aquatic products processed by one or more water processing components 24 via the distribution device 23d.

[0083] Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the secondary distribution unit 23 is configured to generate a request for a defined quantity of processed aquatic products from the main processing unit 21 based on measured level signals / data 25v generated by one or more level sensing devices 25s. For this purpose, in some embodiments, a cable assembly 22 having one or more conduits 22c and wires 22w is used to provide fluid communication and electrical connectivity between the main unit 21 and the secondary unit 23, respectively. One or more conduits 22c of the cable assembly 22 are used for the flow transport of the processed aquatic products, and at least some of the wires 22w of the cable assembly 22 are used for transmitting control signals and / or data between units 21 and 23. One or more control units 21c of the main processing unit 21 may generate control signals and / or data Sm transmitted to the secondary unit Ai via the cable assembly 22, and one or more secondary control units 23c of the secondary unit Ai may generate control signals and / or data Sc transmitted to the main unit 21 via the cable assembly 22.

[0084] In one possible embodiment, the cable assembly 22 may be implemented by any embodiment described and illustrated in a co-pending Israeli patent application entitled “Cable Assembly” filed with the same applicant under Agent No. 2709880, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In one possible embodiment, the secondary distribution unit Ai may be implemented by any embodiment described and illustrated in a co-pending Israeli patent application entitled “Water Disinfection Apparatus” filed with the same applicant under Agent No. 2709916, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0085] In some embodiments, the primary unit and / or secondary unit respectively include communication modules 27 and 28, which are configured and operable to wirelessly transmit control signals and / or data (Sm and Sc) between the primary unit and secondary unit via the wires 23w of the cable assembly 22 and / or using, for example, WiFi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), etc. As will be explained in detail below, the communication modules 27 and / or 28 of the primary unit and / or secondary unit may also be configured to transmit signals / data with external devices / equipment and / or computer systems (e.g., but not limited to smart devices (e.g., smartphones or tablets), remote computers / servers and / or databases, remote and / or local data networks, etc.).

[0086] Thus, one or more secondary control units 23c can be configured to process measured liquid level signals / data 25v generated by one or more liquid level sensing devices 25s, and based thereon generate request control signals / data Sc for a defined amount of processed aquatic products from the main processing unit 21. One or more control units 21c of the main processing unit can be configured to receive and process control signals / data Sc from the secondary unit 23, generating control signals C1 for flowing source water 11r to the filter device 11t via controllable valve V1, and control signals / data Sm for instructing one or more secondary control units 23c to generate control signals Cs for changing the state of controllable valve Vs to receive the flow of processed aquatic products flowing to the storage tank 25 via cable assembly 22.

[0087] Figure 3A power management scheme for a liquid dispensing device 10 according to some possible embodiments is schematically illustrated. In this particular and non-limiting example, the main unit 21 and all secondary units A1, ..., An are connected to the power grid 34. The main unit 21 includes a power adapter PA unit configured to receive power from the power grid 34 and thereby generate one or more low-voltage power supplies 33 for driving the low-voltage components of the system. In this particular and non-limiting example, the low-voltage power adapter PA is configured to drive the control unit 21c and communication module 27 of the main unit 21. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the low-voltage power supplies 33 generated by the power adapter are delivered via wires 22w of the cable assembly 22 for driving its low-voltage components. For example, the low-voltage power supply 33 from the main unit 21 can be used to power the secondary control unit 23c of the secondary units A1, ..., An, such as... Figure 3 As shown. Figure 3 It is also shown that the communication module 28 of the secondary units A1, ..., An is powered by a low-voltage power supply 33 from the main unit 21.

[0088] The main unit 21 and secondary units A1, ..., An include a water processing assembly 35 configured to apply one or more processing techniques to the treated water from the main unit 21. For example, the water processing assembly 35 may include heating (e.g., in...). Figure 2 Ht), evaporation, cooling (e.g., in Figure 2 Cl), freezing and / or any other processing that the unit may require for preparing and distributing a particular product to the end user (e.g., Figure 2 (24 in the original text). Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, each of the control units 27 and 28 of the main unit 21 and the secondary units A1, ..., An is configured and operable to generate a control signal Cp for selectively supplying power to only one or more processing components 35 at the same time, thereby preventing overloading of the power grid 34. Thus, each water processing component 35 can be operated by a corresponding switching device 37 configured to electrically connect the water processing component 35 to the power grid 34 whenever the control signal Cp is issued.

[0089] In a possible embodiment, only the primary unit 21 is connected to the power grid 34, and the secondary units A1, ..., An are configured to receive their power supply from the primary unit 21. In this possible embodiment, the primary unit 21 may include a plurality of switching devices 37, each associated with a specific secondary unit Ai, and the control unit 21c of the primary unit 21 may be configured to generate a control signal Cp to selectively activate and deactivate the power supply thus supplied to the secondary units (e.g., to provide efficiency and / or prevent overload on the power grid 34) based on a predetermined power consumption strategy of the system 10.

[0090] Figure 3 The control units 21c and 23c of the main unit and secondary unit are also shown. Control units 21c and 23c include one or more processors P and a memory M. The memory M can be used to store program code and other data, which are executed by one or more processors P of each unit to perform the unit's operational and maintenance programs. In this way, the main unit and / or secondary unit can be programmed to record user preferences and usage patterns, and to monitor and adjust the unit's operation and maintenance accordingly. Note that although... Figure 3 Examples illustrate the series connection of the primary unit (21) and secondary units (A1, ..., An), power management and / or any other resource management, but the scheme described herein can be similarly applied in the parallel connection of units (e.g. Figure 1 (As shown) is implemented.

[0091] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a power management process 44 for a water distribution device according to some possible embodiments. Process 44 begins at step U1, in which a secondary unit (Ui) issues a request to activate one or more of its water processing components (35, e.g., water heating). This request is transmitted via cable assembly (22) or wirelessly to the primary unit (21) and is thus received in step G1. The secondary unit then waits to receive a response from the primary unit. In step G2, the primary unit checks whether the power grid (34) is loaded based on the previous activation of one or more water processing components (35) of the primary unit and / or the secondary unit. In some embodiments, the control unit (21c) of the primary unit (21) is configured and operable to allow activation of only one water processing component (35), thereby preventing two or more water processing components from operating simultaneously in the water distribution device (10). For example, in some embodiments, the control unit (21c) of the main unit (21) is configured and operable to allow water heating to be performed at any time by only one of the units (21, A1, ..., An) of the dispensing device (10 or 20).

[0092] If it is determined in step G2 that the power grid (34) is not loaded, then in step G4, the main control unit (21c) issues a permission to activate the water processing component (35) of the secondary unit (Ai). Otherwise, if it is determined in step G2 that the power grid (34) is loaded, then in step G3, the main control unit (21c) rejects the processing activation request of the secondary unit (Ai). In step U2, the secondary unit (Ai) receives a response from the control unit of the main unit, and in step U3, the response is checked. If it is determined in step U3 that the main control unit has granted permission to activate the water processing component (35), then in step U4, the secondary control unit (28) activates the water processing component (35) by, for example, issuing an activation signal Cp. If it is determined in step U3 that the request to activate the water processing component (35) is rejected by the main control unit, then control returns to step U1 to restart the power management process 44.

[0093] In step U4, the control unit (28) of the secondary unit (Ai) also notifies the primary unit (21) that its water processing component (35) has been activated. In step G5, the primary unit (21) receives the activation notification from the secondary unit (Ai) and sets the grid load flag accordingly. Optionally, in step G5, a timer for counting the duration of activation of the processing is also activated. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the grid load in step G2 is determined primarily or entirely based on the state of the grid load flag. After the desired water processing is performed in the secondary unit, in step U5, the secondary control unit (28) deactivates the water processing component (35), for example, by resetting the signal Cp.

[0094] In step G6, the main control unit (27) checks whether the water processing of the secondary unit needs to be terminated based on the timer count, or whether it has been deactivated in step U5. If neither of these conditions is met, control proceeds to step G1 to process further water processing requests, rejects any new requests to activate the water processing components of the main or secondary unit in step G3, and rechecks whether the conditions for terminating the current activation are met in step G6. If it is determined in step G6, based on the timer count state, that a determined allowable processing activation time has elapsed, a processing deactivation instruction is issued in step U5 to deactivate the processing. If the secondary unit issues a deactivation notification in step U5, or when the allowable processing activation time determined by the timer count instruction has elapsed, step G7 is executed to reset the grid loading flag and the processing activation timer. Optionally, before resetting the timer in step G7, the timer count is recorded in the memory (M) of the main control unit (21c) for monitoring the use and maintenance of each water processing component 35. Thereafter, control proceeds to step G1 to process further water processing requests.

[0095] Figure 5 The connectivity between the primary unit 21 and the secondary unit Ai, obtained via cable assembly 22 in some embodiments, is schematically illustrated. A modified outlet assembly O1' is used in the primary unit 21 to connect the conduit 22c of cable assembly 22 to a conduit connector 21q for establishing fluid communication between the conduit 22c of cable assembly 22 and the internal conduit system 11g of the primary unit 21, and to connect the wire 22w of cable assembly 22 to an electrical connector 21e for electrically coupling the wire 22w of cable assembly 22 to the wire 21z of the primary unit 21. Similarly, a modified inlet assembly Po' is used in the secondary unit Ai to connect the conduit 22c of cable assembly 22 to a conduit connector 21q for establishing fluid communication between the conduit 22c of cable assembly 22 and the internal conduit system 23t of the primary unit 21, and to connect the wire 22w of cable assembly 22 to an electrical connector 21e for electrically coupling the wire 22w of cable assembly 22 to the wire 23z of the secondary unit Ai.

[0096] In some embodiments, the conduit connector 21q of the modified outlet assembly O1' and / or the modified inlet assembly Po' includes a normally closed check valve Vx, which is configured to open when a suitable conduit / connector is connected thereto, otherwise preventing fluid from passing through it. In some embodiments, the valve Vx installed in the modified outlet assembly O1' of the main unit 21 and / or in the modified inlet assembly Po' of the secondary unit Ai is a normally closed solenoid valve, which is configured to open in response to a control signal (not shown) generated by one or more control units whenever processed aquatic products are to be flow-through therefrom.

[0097] The wires 21z of the main unit 21 are configured to transmit control signals and / or data Sm generated by one or more control units 21c of the main unit 21 to one or more control units 23c of the secondary unit Ai via the wires 22w of the cable assembly 22. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, communication of control signals and / or data Sm is performed by the communication module 27 of the main unit 21 via the cable assembly 22 and / or wirelessly.

[0098] The wires 23z of the secondary unit Ai are configured to transmit control signals and / or data Sc generated by one or more control units 23c of the secondary unit Ai to one or more control units 21c of the primary unit 21 via wires 22w of the cable assembly 22. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, communication of control signals and / or data Sc is performed by the communication module 28 of the secondary unit Ai via the cable assembly 22 and / or wirelessly.

[0099] In some embodiments, the same wires 22w of the cable assembly 22 are used to transmit control signals and / or data Sm generated by one or more control units 21c and control signals and / or data Sc generated by one or more secondary control units 23c using an asynchronous communication scheme. In some embodiments, at least some wires 22w of the cable assembly 22 are power supply lines for supplying power to one or more components of the secondary unit (e.g., but not limited to one or more secondary control units 23c).

[0100] In a possible embodiment, the two wires 22w of the cable assembly 22 are used for asynchronous communication between the master unit 21 and the secondary unit Ai. In this case, the communication can define the master unit as a slave device and at least one secondary unit Ai as a master device. This means that communication via the communication line will always be initiated by one of the secondary units Ai, and communication by the master unit 21 via the communication line will always be in response to signals / data transmitted by one or more secondary units. Optionally, the system is configured to define a master-secondary unit device that can be periodically, intermittently, or accidentally replaced by another secondary unit.

[0101] Communication between units can be performed via message frames of variable length, and optionally via message frames of a maximum allowed length (e.g., 32, 64, 128, 256 bytes or more). In some embodiments, asynchronous communication is based on a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) protocol that uses a baud rate of 115200 bps and a 32-bit CRC to guarantee frame integrity. The communication protocol can be configured to provide the master unit 21 with control over shared resources of the system 10 (e.g., but not limited to processed seafood and / or the power supply of the power grid). Thus, the master unit 21 can be configured to approve or disapprove requests received from secondary units for processed seafood and / or requests for activation of power-consuming processes (e.g., heating, cooling, etc.).

[0102] In some embodiments, the cable assembly 22 is an integral part of the secondary unit Ai, and in such embodiments, the connecting means, conduit connector 21q, and / or electrical connector 21e are not required in the entry assembly Po' of the secondary unit Ai.

[0103] Figure 6The communication scheme in a liquid dispensing device 10 according to some possible embodiments is illustrated schematically. In this particular and non-limiting example, the main unit 21 is configured to wirelessly (e.g., using ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) exchange signals / data with a smart device 51 (e.g., a smartphone or tablet) and / or via one or more data networks 52 (e.g., the Internet) with a remote computer / server / database (e.g., a control center) 53. In some embodiments, each of the main unit and secondary units is configured to directly transmit (e.g., ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) signals / data with the smart device 51 and / or the remote computer 53. The main unit and / or secondary units may be configured to use communication with the smart device 51 and / or the remote computer / server to periodically check for software updates and download and install such updates when they are available.

[0104] In some embodiments, the main unit 21 is configured to transmit data indicating the amount of row water processed by the filter device (11t) to the smart device 51 and / or the remote computer 53. The smart device 51 and / or the remote computer 53 may be configured to determine, based on this, when the filter device (11t) of the main unit should be replaced with a new filter device and transmit a corresponding notification to the main unit 21. Additionally or alternatively, the control unit 21c of the main unit 21 is configured and operable to process the data indicating the amount of row water processed by the filter device (11t) and determine, based on this, when the filter device needs to be replaced. Data received and processed by the main unit 21, the smart device 51, and / or the remote computer 53 may be used to determine whether other components of the unit (e.g., carbonation gas container, UV lamp) need to be replaced.

[0105] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the user interface device 11f of the main unit and / or secondary unit includes one or more push buttons / touch buttons 41 for activating and operating the unit, and / or a display device 42 (e.g., LCD, touchscreen) for displaying information to the user. In possible embodiments where the display device 42 includes a touchscreen, the push buttons / touch buttons 41 may be redundant and therefore may be excluded. Optionally, but preferably in some embodiments, the user interface device 11f includes a user identification device 43 (e.g., an imager / camera for facial and / or hand geometry and / or vein recognition, a fingerprint scanner, and / or any suitable biometric device) for user identification and unit personalization based on user preferences and usage patterns.

[0106] Alternatively or additionally, the primary and / or secondary units may be configured to receive a user identification code from each user prior to the distribution of seafood by the unit. In certain facilities / organizations, user-carried personal identification tags 43 may be used in place of or supplement to user identification devices 43 by embedding suitable user tag detection devices (e.g., RFID, NFC, etc. (not shown)) in the unit. The primary and / or secondary control units (21c and / or 23c) may be accordingly configured to perform user identification procedures prior to / simultaneously with the distribution of their processed seafood and record the time, date, and quantity (generally referred to herein as usage or preference data) of each processed seafood distributed to each user.

[0107] Control units 27 and 28 of the primary and / or secondary units may be accordingly configured and operable to record each user's use and / or preferences of the unit based on user identification data generated by identification device 43. Smart device 51 and / or remote computer / server 53 may be used to remotely control and operate the primary and / or secondary units. For example, but not limited to, specialized software programs / applications may be installed in smart device 51 and / or remote computer / server 53, configured and operable to allow remote activation / deactivation of the primary / secondary units, and to program the primary / secondary units to prepare the required amount of processed aquatic products for immediate, periodic (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, and / or monthly) and / or future specific times (e.g., two hours from now, 14:30 tomorrow, etc.).

[0108] The primary and / or secondary units can be configured to provide various personalized features for each user of the system. For example, but not limited to, each user can define preferred water temperature, quantity, and / or any other water processing capabilities. The allocation of processed water products according to the user's preferences can be performed after the user is identified remotely via user identification device 43 or via the user's personal smart device 51. The primary and / or secondary units can also be configured to allow each user to define personal consumption items indicating, for example, expected daily and / or weekly and / or monthly and / or annual water consumption, which is monitored by the units based on the recorded allocation time, date, and quantity for each user. The primary and / or secondary units can also be configured to display the user's progress on display 42 after the identification process, and / or transmit that progress for display and / or processing in smart device 51 and / or remote computer / server 53.

[0109] The smart device 51 and / or the remote computer / server 53 may be configured and operable to generate various alarms to users of the system 10, which indicate the status of the main unit and / or secondary units, operational failures and / or errors encountered during their operation and use (e.g., failure of any component used in the unit (e.g., filtration equipment (11t), water processing components (35, 24)), water leakage in any unit and / or in the water supply conduit (13)).

[0110] In some embodiments, the smart device 51 and / or the remote computer / server 53 are configured to instruct the primary and / or secondary units to change their operating modes based on the user's presence time / date. For example, if the user leaves for a specified period of time (e.g., a holiday), and / or periodically leaves during certain time instances (e.g., at night and / or on weekends). The smart device 51 and / or the remote computer / server 53 may be configured and operated to instruct the system 10 to switch its primary and / or secondary units to a sleep mode (and / or a Sabbath mode that allows higher power compensation than sleep mode, and / or any other functional mode) during such periods, in which only basic operations are performed (e.g., maintenance of treated water stored therein and / or maintenance of components of the system / unit), and the activation of power-consuming processing is substantially minimized or completely eliminated. The smart device 51 and / or the remote computer / server 53 may be configured and operable to instruct the system 10 to switch its primary and / or secondary units back to their fully operational state at a sufficient time before the expected user's arrival, or at a preset time and / or date defined by the user.

[0111] User usage / preference data collected by the main unit and / or secondary units and transmitted to the smart device 51 and / or remote computer / server system 53 can also be used to monitor and adjust each user's consumption of treated seafood allocated by the system. For example, but not limited to, the smart device 51 and / or remote computer / server system 53 can be used to analyze user usage / preference data collected by nutritionists / healthcare personnel and to accordingly transmit suggestions, recommendations, and / or warnings to the main unit and / or secondary units regarding each user's future consumption of treated seafood. The control units 21c and 23c of the main unit and secondary units can be configured accordingly to display such suggestions and / or warnings to each user after the user identification process is completed. Additionally or alternatively, the control units 21c and 23c can be configured and operable to modify / adjust the treated seafood thus allocated to a particular user based on the suggestions, recommendations, and / or warnings received from the nutritionist / healthcare personnel.

[0112] The water distribution system 10 can be integrated into the Internet of Things (IoT) system 54 to facilitate the automation of its operation and use, and / or to monitor and / or control the operation of other device systems. For example, but not limited to, the water distribution system 10 can be part of a smart home IoT system, and notifications generated by the main unit and / or secondary units and / or received from smart devices 51 and / or remote computer / server systems 53 can be used as triggers for other processes / operations controlled and monitored by the IoT system 54 (e.g., shutting off the household water supply if the main unit detects a water leak, and / or deactivating / switching to sleep mode of the household devices / systems when the main unit and / or secondary units receive a notification indicating that the user is not present).

[0113] Figure 7 The flowchart illustrates a process 40 in which processed aquatic products are distributed via one or more control units 21c of a main processing unit (21) according to some possible embodiments. The process begins at step B1, where signals / data (Cf) from a user interface (I / F) device (11f) are processed by one or more control units (21c) to determine in step B2 whether processed aquatic products need to be distributed via their distributors (11d). If it is determined in step B2 that processed aquatic products need to be distributed via the distributors (11d), then in step B3, one or more control units (21c) generate control signals (C1, Cc, or Ch) for flowing source water (11r) via a supply valve (V1) to a filtration device 11t and from there via processing valves (Vc and / or Vh) to the distributors 11d. Steps B2 and B3 are executed continuously until it is determined in step B2 that the dispensing of processed aquatic products must be stopped (e.g., a determined amount of processed aquatic products has been dispensed and / or a signal / data Cf from user interface device 11f is required to do so), after which the supply and processing valves (V1, Vc and / or Vh) are closed in step B4.

[0114] If it is determined in step B2 that processed aquatic products do not need to be distributed via dispenser (11d), then in step B5 it is checked whether a request (Sc) for processed aquatic products has been received from the secondary distribution unit (23). If there is no such request (Sc) for processed aquatic products, control is transferred to step B1 to restart the water distribution process 40. Otherwise, if it is determined that there is a request (Sc) for processed aquatic products from the secondary distribution unit (23) that can be satisfied, then in step B6, a supply permission notification (Sm) is issued via cable assembly 22 to instruct one or more secondary control units (23c) to issue control signals (Cs) to change the state of the supply valve (Vs) of the secondary unit (Ai) to receive processed aquatic products from the primary unit (21). Next, in step B7, one or more control units (21c) send a control signal (C1) to open the source water supply valve (V1), thereby flowing the source water (11r) to the filtration device (11t) and flowing the treated aquatic products from the filtration device (11t) to the secondary distribution unit (23).

[0115] In step B8, for example, based on the level signal / data (25v) from the level sensing device (25s) of the secondary unit (Ai) and / or the flow signal / data (S1) from the flow sensing device (11m) of the main unit (21), it is determined whether the requested quantity of processed aquatic products has been supplied. If so, in step B9, one or more control units (21c) issue a control signal (C1) to close the source water supply valve (11r), thereby terminating the flow of source water. In step B10, a termination supply notification (Sm) is issued via cable assembly 22 to instruct one or more secondary control units (23c) to issue a control signal (Cs) to close the supply valve (Vs) of the secondary unit (Ai). Otherwise, if it is determined in step B8 that the requested quantity of processed aquatic products has not been supplied (or the reservoir of the secondary unit is not full), step B8 is repeated until the requested quantity of processed aquatic products is supplied by the main unit 21. In some embodiments, step B8 is also configured to overcome the fault by transferring control to step B9 when a defined timeout period, defined as preventing overflow in the storage of the secondary unit, is reached. After the processed seafood supply step is completed in step B10, control can return to step B1 to restart the distribution process 40.

[0116] Figure 8The flowchart illustrates a process 50 for distributing processed seafood via one or more secondary control units 23c of a secondary processing unit (23), according to some possible embodiments. The process begins in step E1, where a level signal / data (25v) measured in step E1 is processed to determine in step E2 whether the reservoir (25) needs to be refilled (e.g., when the level of the processed seafood reaches or falls below a defined minimum level threshold). If it is determined in step E2 that the reservoir (25) needs to be refilled, a request (Sc) for the processed seafood is issued in step E3. Next, when permission for refilling is received from the main unit (21) in step E4… Figure 7 In step B6), a control signal (Cs) is generated in step E5 to open the supply valve (Vs) of the secondary unit so that the processed aquatic products of the autonomous unit (21) can be flow-transported to the storage tank (25) of the secondary unit (23).

[0117] Step E6 checks whether the reservoir (25) is full based on the measured liquid level signal / data (25V), and if so, control transfers to step E8, in which the supply valve (Vs) is closed. If it is determined in step E6 that the reservoir (25) is not full, for example, the liquid level of the processed aquatic products has not reached / exceeded the defined maximum liquid level threshold, then step E7 checks whether the main unit (21) has issued a stop supply notification (in Figure 7 In step B10 (Sm), if it is determined in step E7 that the main unit (21) has not issued a termination supply notification (Sm), control returns to step E6. In steps E6 and E7, the conditions for ending the refill process are repeatedly checked, and once one of these conditions is met, a control signal (Cs) to close the supply valve (Vs) is generated in step E8. Control then transfers to step E9, where the distribution of aquatic products can begin.

[0118] If it is determined in step E2 that the reservoir (25) no longer needs to be filled, control moves to step E9, where signals / data (Cr) from the user interface (I / F) device (23f) of the secondary unit (Ai) are processed to determine in step 10 whether the processed seafood needs to be dispensed by the dispenser (23d). If it is determined in step E10 that the seafood needs to be dispensed by the dispenser (23d), a control signal (Cd) is generated in step E11 for the flow delivery of the processed seafood from the reservoir (25) via the dispensing valve (Vd), and thus to the dispenser (23d). Steps E10 and E11 are executed consecutively until it is determined in step E10 that the dispensing of processed seafood needs to be stopped (e.g., a certain amount of processed seafood has been dispensed and / or the signal / data Cr from the user interface device 23f requires this), after which the dispensing valve (Vd) is closed in step E12. Control then returns to step E1 to restart the dispensing process 50.

[0119] It should be noted that, Figure 8 The process 50 shown is an embodiment in which dispensing is controlled by a controllable / electric valve. However, if such a controllable / electric valve is not used to perform dispensing (e.g., if it is mechanical), steps E9 through E12 can be removed from process 50, i.e., control returns from steps E2 and E8 to step E1 (instead of steps E9-E12). The system can be configured to indicate via a user interface (I / F) device whether the processed seafood is ready (e.g., ice cubes, hot / cold water temperature, etc.). For example, but not limited to, in some embodiments, the secondary processing unit (23) can be configured to dispense ice cubes, and such a possible embodiment may not require a controllable / electric valve for dispensing, but rather another mechanism. Alternatively, the secondary processing unit (23) can be configured to notify the user only via a user interface (I / F) device that the processed seafood (e.g., ice cubes) is ready.

[0120] Terms (e.g., top, bottom, front, rear, right, and left) and similar adjectives relating to the orientation of the processing / dispensing unit and its components refer to the arrangement of the illustrations on paper, and not as any limitation on the orientation in which the apparatus may be used in a practical application. It should also be understood that throughout this disclosure, where a process or method is shown or described, the steps of that method may be performed in any order or simultaneously, unless it is clear from the context that one step depends on another step being performed first.

[0121] As described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the present invention provides a water distribution device and related method. While specific embodiments of the invention have been described, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as modifications can be made by those skilled in the art (particularly in accordance with the foregoing teachings). As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the invention can be implemented in a variety of different ways (employing more than one of the techniques described above), all of which do not depart from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A liquid dispensing system comprising: at least one primary liquid supply unit configured to receive a flow of liquid and to apply one or more treatments to the flow of liquid to obtain a treated liquid product, the primary liquid supply unit comprising a dispenser; one or more secondary liquid supply units fluidically coupled with the at least one primary liquid supply unit, the at least one primary liquid supply unit being configured to selectively flow the treated liquid product to the dispenser or to one or more of the secondary liquid supply units from the primary liquid supply unit; a controllable supply valve configured to selectively flow liquid to the primary liquid supply unit whenever the primary liquid supply unit or one of the one or more secondary liquid supply units requires the treated liquid product; at least one controllable dispensing valve configured to selectively flow the treated liquid product to the dispenser; at least one primary control unit configured and operable to control dispensing of the treated liquid product from the primary liquid supply unit; and a user interface configured to receive user input, and wherein the at least one primary control unit is configured and operable to change a state of the at least one controllable dispensing valve based on the user input.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising one or more additional secondary liquid supply units fluidically coupled with at least one of the secondary liquid supply units.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a filtration device in the primary liquid supply unit for performing at least one of the treatments on the received flow of liquid.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one liquid processing assembly in the primary liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply units for processing the treated liquid product prior to dispensing the treated liquid product. the at least one liquid processing assembly being configured to apply at least one of the following to the treated liquid product: heating, cooling, freezing, evaporation, sanitization, purification, mineralization.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, 6. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one flow sensing device configured to measure an amount of the treated liquid product produced by the primary liquid supply unit and to generate a flow signal / data indicative of the amount. the at least one primary control unit being configured to control dispensing of the treated liquid product based on the flow signal / data generated by the at least one flow sensing device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, ​ 8. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one reservoir in at least one of the liquid supply units for storing a flow of the treated liquid product inside the at least one reservoir.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising a controllable secondary supply valve configured to control the flow delivery of the treated liquid product to the at least one reservoir.

10. The system of claim 8, comprising at least one controllable secondary dispensing valve configured to control dispensing of the treated liquid product from the at least one reservoir.

11. The system of claim 9, comprising at least one secondary control unit configured and operable to control: filling of the at least one reservoir with the treated liquid product and / or dispensing of the treated liquid product from the at least one reservoir.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising at least one cable assembly configured to be in fluid communication between the primary liquid supply unit and the secondary liquid supply unit and to be electrically coupled between the primary liquid supply unit and the secondary liquid supply unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein, The cable assembly comprises at least one conduit for communicating between the primary liquid supply unit and the secondary liquid supply unit and electrical wires for electrically coupling between the primary liquid supply unit and the secondary liquid supply unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, At least some of the electrical wires are power supply wires configured to supply electrical power from the primary liquid supply unit to at least one of the secondary liquid supply units.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein, The primary control unit and the secondary control units are configured to implement an asynchronous communication protocol between the primary liquid supply unit and the secondary liquid supply units, the asynchronous communication protocol defining the primary liquid supply unit as a slave device and at least one of the secondary liquid supply units as a master device or defining the primary liquid supply unit as a master device and at least one of the secondary liquid supply units as a slave device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein, The asynchronous communication protocol is configured to provide control of the primary liquid supply unit over consumption of shared resources of the liquid dispensing system.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein, The at least one secondary control unit is configured and operable to communicate to the at least one primary liquid supply unit a request for a flow of the treated liquid product.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, The at least one primary control unit is configured to receive and process the request generated by the secondary control unit and determine an amount of the treated liquid product to be flow delivered to the secondary control unit based on the request.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein, The at least one secondary control unit is configured and operable to communicate to the at least one primary liquid supply unit a request for activating a processing of a consumption power of the at least one primary liquid supply unit.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein, The at least one main control unit is configured and operable to selectively approve or reject the request for activation of power-consuming processes, to prevent overloading.

21. The system of claim 11, comprising at least one communication module configured to communicate signals / data between the main liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply unit and an external device or external system, for monitoring and / or operating dispensing of the processed liquid product.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein, The main control unit and / or the secondary control unit is configured and operable to receive instructions from the external device or external system to change a state of one of the liquid supply units, and / or to perform maintenance of at least one of the liquid supply units, and / or to perform a firmware update of at least one of the liquid supply units and / or a liquid processing in at least one of the liquid supply units.

23. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one user identification device configured to generate identification data of a user of the main liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply unit.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein, The at least one main control unit is configured and operable to perform a user identification procedure using the identification data prior to or during liquid dispensing.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein, The at least one main control unit is configured and operable to: (i) record usage and / or preference data associated with each identified user, and / or (ii) receive and monitor personal consumption items of at least one identified user.

26. A liquid dispensing method, comprising: receiving a flow of liquid by at least one main liquid supply unit, the main liquid supply unit comprising a dispenser; applying one or more treatments to the flow of liquid received in the at least one main liquid supply unit, thereby producing a processed liquid product; selectively streaming the processed liquid product from the at least one main liquid supply unit to the dispenser or to at least one secondary liquid supply unit according to a user's need for processed liquid product by the at least one secondary liquid supply unit, while providing control of the main liquid supply unit over consumption of the processed liquid product by the at least one secondary liquid supply unit; and dispensing the processed liquid product by the at least one secondary liquid supply unit.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, Applying the one or more treatments comprises filtering the received flow of liquid.

28. The method of claim 26, comprising applying at least one liquid processing to the processed liquid product prior to dispensing the processed liquid product by the main liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply unit.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein, The at least one liquid processing comprises at least one of: heating, cooling, freezing, evaporation, sterilization, purification, mineralization.

30. The method of claim 26, comprising measuring an amount of the treated liquid product produced by the primary liquid supply unit and generating a flow signal / data indicative of the amount.

31. The method of claim 30, comprising controlling dispensing of the treated liquid product from the at least one primary liquid supply unit based on the flow signal / data.

32. The method of claim 26, comprising one or more of: (i) receiving input of a user and controlling dispensing of the treated liquid product based on the input of the user, (ii) storing a flow of the treated liquid product in at least one reservoir provided in at least one of the liquid supply units, (iii) communicating signals / data between the primary liquid supply unit and the secondary liquid supply unit, (iv) comprising providing an electrical power supply power from the at least one primary liquid supply unit to at least one of the secondary liquid supply units, and (v) communicating signals / data between the primary liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply unit and an external device or external system for monitoring and / or operating dispensing of the treated liquid product.

33. The method of claim 26, comprising utilizing an asynchronous communication protocol between the primary liquid supply unit and the secondary liquid supply unit and defining the at least one primary liquid supply unit as a slave device and at least one of the secondary liquid supply units as a master device.

34. The method of claim 33, comprising providing control of consumption of shared resources of a liquid dispensing system by the primary liquid supply unit.

35. The method of claim 26, comprising passing a request from the at least one secondary control unit for a flow of the treated liquid product to the at least one primary liquid supply unit and / or passing a request for activation of a power consuming process of the at least one secondary control unit to the at least one primary liquid supply unit.

36. The method of claim 35, comprising selectively approving or denying the request for activation of a power consuming process to prevent overloading.

37. The method of claim 26, comprising performing a user identification procedure prior to or during liquid dispensing by the primary liquid supply unit and / or the secondary liquid supply unit.

38. The method of claim 37, comprising recording usage and / or preference data associated with each identified user and receiving and monitoring personal consumption items of at least one identified user.

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