Refrigeration appliance with beverage dispenser and valve assembly for a container of the dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10415709-B2
Application number	US-201715794038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2017
Priority date	Oct 27, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, has a heat-insulating housing, which surrounds a storage compartment for refrigerated goods and has at least one passage between the storage compartment and a dispenser recess disposed outside of the heat-insulating housing. A container-valve assembly is detachably installed in the storage compartment and projects through the passage. A cover for closing the dispenser recess is articulated at the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a heat-insulating housing enclosing a storage compartment for refrigerated goods;
a dispenser recess disposed outside said heat-insulating housing;
a base plate having at least one opening formed therein defining an opening cross section, said base plate being disposed between said storage compartment and said dispenser recess;
a container-valve assembly detachably installed in said storage compartment and projecting through said opening, said container-valve assembly including a container disposed on said base plate, a valve and an adapter section entirely filling said opening cross section;
said valve including a base plate having an opening formed therein, a valve seat annularly extending about said opening, a closing element resting on said valve seat around said opening in a closed position and touching said valve seat in an open position, a spring biasing said closing element into said closed position, and a cap compressing said spring against said base plate;
an operating paddle being a dual-armed lever installed in said dispenser recess below said base plate, said operating paddle serving to open said valve and fill a vessel with a beverage from said container; and
a cover hinged to said housing and configured to selectively close said dispenser recess.

2. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein:
said housing has at least one clear-view window, through which a container of said container-valve assembly arranged in said storage compartment is visible; or
at least one region of said container that faces the clear-view window is translucent; or
said cover extends across said at least one clear-view window.

3. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein:
said cover is at least partially transparent; or
said dispenser recess is accommodated in a door of the refrigeration appliance and said cover covers the entire door; or
said container-valve assembly has an adapter section, which fills a cross-section of said opening.

4. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said container is inserted into a recess formed in an inner surface of said housing.

5. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 4 , wherein said recess defines length, width and height directions of said recess, and said container fills said recess in said width direction.

6. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said container has a lid in an upper region and a valve is detachably installed on an outlet formed in a lower region of said container.

7. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of assemblies, each of said assemblies including a respective container and a respective outlet fluidically communicating with said respective container.

8. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 7 , wherein said containers have flat side walls adjoining one another.

9. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 configured as a domestic refrigeration appliance.

10. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said
closing element is configured to pivot about a pivot point and tilt between said closed position and said open position.

11. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 10 , wherein said valve seat is formed in an adapter section, which has a screw thread for screwing to a container.

12. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 10 , which comprises a pin that has one end that is fixedly connected to said closing element, extends through said opening and has a further end that faces away from said closing element and is disposed at said cap.

13. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said cap is detachably connected to said pin.

14. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 13 , wherein said cap is screwed to said pin.

15. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a heat-insulating housing enclosing a storage compartment for refrigerated goods;
a dispenser recess disposed outside said heat-insulating housing;
a base plate having at least one opening formed therein defining an opening cross section, said base plate being disposed between said storage compartment and said dispenser recess;
a container-valve assembly detachably installed in said storage compartment and projecting through said opening, said container-valve assembly including a container disposed on said base plate, a valve and an adapter section entirely filling said opening cross section;
said valve including a valve seat annularly extending about an opening, a closing element resting on said valve seat around said opening in a closed position and touching said valve seat in an open position, an actuation section projecting from said closing element in a flow direction of the beverage passing through said valve and at least one of a cup-shaped element having a passage in a cup base and being attached to said actuation section or a web extending around the valve seat and engaging in said cup-shaped element;
an operating paddle being a dual-armed lever installed in said dispenser recess below said base plate, said operating paddle serving to open said valve and fill a vessel with a beverage from said container; and
a cover hinged to said housing and configured to selectively close said dispenser recess.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Eicher Max
• Becke Christoph
• Hartwein Christine
• Angele Boris

Classifications

• F25D2400/36

  Visual displays · CPC title

• F25D2323/023

  Door in door constructions · CPC title

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• B67D1/08

  Details · CPC title

• F16K1/2071 Primary

  and being forced into sealing contact with the valve member by a spring or a spring-like member · CPC title