Beverage dispenser and refrigeration appliance with beverage dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10663160-B2
Application number	US-201816170288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 25, 2017
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A beverage dispenser has a housing enclosing a dispenser recess, at least one light inlet window for lighting the dispenser recess, a printed circuit board, on which a number of LEDs are arranged to feed light into the dispenser recess by way of the at least one light inlet window. The printed circuit board is mounted on the housing of the dispenser recess above an LED housing, which seals the light inlet window.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage dispenser, comprising:
a housing enclosing a dispenser recess and having at least one light inlet window formed in said housing enclosing said dispenser recess for lighting said dispenser recess;
an LED housing sealing said at least one light inlet window, said LED housing having a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs);
a printed circuit board on which said plurality of LEDs are disposed for feeding light into said dispenser recess by way of said at least one light inlet window, said printed circuit board being mounted on said housing of said dispenser recess by said LED housing;
at least one light guide including a transparent, light transmissive body disposed in said dispenser recess;
an actuation lever molded from a transparent material;
a socket for said actuation lever being mounted in said dispenser recess, said at least one light guide being held by said socket adjacent to said at least one light inlet window to distribute light from said LEDs; and
said at least one light guide disposed to direct light into said actuation lever.

2. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said LED housing is inserted into said light inlet window from a side facing away from said dispenser recess.

3. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said LED housing and said housing of the beverage dispenser touch one another in a sealing manner on a flat surface.

4. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said LED housing is molded as a single piece from a transparent material.

5. The beverage dispenser according to claim 4 , wherein said LED housing contains lenses disposed in a beam path of said LEDs.

6. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said housing is configured to mate with said LED housing in only a single orientation.

7. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said LED housing and said printed circuit board have interacting contours, to allow said printed circuit board to be attached to said LED housing with a single orientation.

8. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said actuation lever has a plate-shaped lever arm and a light outlet extending along an edge of said plate-shaped lever arm or is disposed at a central point of said plate-shaped lever arm.

9. The beverage dispenser according to claim 8 , wherein said light outlet and a rough surface are opposite one another on two sides of said actuation lever.

10. The beverage dispenser according to claim 8 , wherein said plate-shaped lever arm has a base plate and a fin projecting from said base plate, which extends from an end of said light guide to said light outlet.

11. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said actuation lever has an opaque coating and a light outlet is formed by a gap in said opaque coating.

12. The beverage dispenser according to claim 11 , wherein said opaque coating has an inner layer and outer layer, said inner layer being lighter than said outer layer.

13. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one light guide is disposed so as to light a beverage container disposed above said dispenser recess.

14. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein:
said dispenser recess is open toward a front face of said housing; and
said housing has a holder for at least one beverage container disposed above said dispenser recess.

15. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a heat-insulating wall; and
a beverage dispenser, containing:
a housing enclosing a dispenser recess and having at least one light inlet window formed in said housing enclosing said dispenser recess for lighting said dispenser recess, said housing being let into said heat-insulating wall;
an LED housing sealing said at least one light inlet window, said LED housing having a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs);
a printed circuit board on which said plurality of LEDs are disposed for feeding light into said dispenser recess by way of said at least one light inlet window, said printed circuit board is mounted on said housing of said dispenser recess by said LED housing;
at least one light guide including a transparent, light transmissive body disposed in said dispenser recess;
an actuation lever molded from a transparent material;
a socket for said actuation lever being mounted in said dispenser recess, said at least one light guide being held by said socket adjacent to said at least one light inlet window to distribute light from said LEDs; and
said at least one light guide disposed to direct light into said actuation lever.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Lux Denis
• Mayr Tobias
• Claass Elena
• Fink Andrea
• Dittmann I Jessica
• Weber Armin

Classifications

• F25D2327/001

  Lighting arrangements on the external side of the refrigerator, freezer or cooling box · CPC title

• G02B6/0006

  Coupling light into the fibre (in general G02B6/4298) · CPC title

• F21V33/0044 Primary

  Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title

• G02B6/0008

  the light being emitted at the end of the fibre · CPC title

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title