The described technology relates to a liquid dispensing apparatus, such as for a refrigerator, and more specifically to a liquid dispensing apparatus configured to dispense heated water, such as for a side-by-side or bottom freezer refrigerator, and a corresponding method.
It is known to provide a refrigerator with a water dispenser that dispenses cooled water (e.g., water cooled to have a temperature less than a temperature at which the water is received into the refrigerator). One type of known refrigerator is a so-called side-by-side refrigerator that includes a freezer section disposed to the side of a fresh food section. In the known side-by-side refrigerator, water flows from a water source exterior to the refrigerator, such as a water line of a building in which the refrigerator is disposed. The water is cooled by a cooling system, in a known manner. The cooled water is dispensed by the cool water dispenser, which is disposed in a door of the freezer section of the refrigerator. By this arrangement, cooled water is immediately available to a user of the refrigerator.
Another type of known refrigerator is a so-called bottom freezer or bottom mount freezer refrigerator which includes a bottom freezer section disposed below a top fresh food section. In a manner similar to that of the known side-by-side refrigerator, in the known bottom freezer refrigerator water from the exterior water source is cooled and dispensed by the cool water dispenser disposed in a door of the fresh food section of the refrigerator.
It may also be desirable, however, to provide heated water (e.g., water having a temperature greater than the temperature at which the water is received into the refrigerator) to the user of a refrigerator. Known refrigerators do not include water dispensers configured to dispense heated water.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds