Water purifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889483-B2
Application number	US-201916670439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2019
Priority date	Nov 19, 2018
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A liquid dispenser includes a case and a dispenser, and dispenser includes a dispenser side cover, a first lifting cover, a second lifting cover, and a dispenser nozzle. The first lifting cover includes a guide rail and the second lifting cover includes a coupling bracket provided with a magnet. As the coupling bracket is slidably moved along the guide rail by the attractive force being applied between the magnet and the guide rail, the second lifting cover is lifted and lowered from the first lifting cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid dispenser comprising:
a case; and
a dispenser coupled to the case, wherein the dispenser includes:
a dispenser side cover coupled to the case;
a stationary cover coupled to the dispenser side cover;
an adjustable cover configured to be movable within the stationary cover; and
a dispenser nozzle installed at the adjustable cover and configured to discharge liquid,

wherein the stationary cover includes a guide rail that extends in a vertical direction,
wherein the adjustable cover includes a coupling bracket including at least one magnet positioned to be on one side of the guide rail so that an attractive magnetic force is applied to the guide rail, and
wherein as the adjustable cover is moved with respect to the stationary cover, the coupling bracket is moved along the guide rail.

2. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the guide rail includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail spaced apart from the first guide rail, the first and second guide rails extending in the vertical direction, and wherein the at least one magnet comprises a first magnet positioned on one side of the first guide rail and a second magnet positioned on one side of the second guide rail.

3. The liquid dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the first magnet, the first guide rail, the second guide rail, and the second magnet are provided sequentially in a horizontal direction, and wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are magnetically attracted to the first guide rail and the second guide rail, respectively, and are capable of moving in the vertical direction with respect to the first and second guide rails.

4. The liquid dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the stationary cover includes an opening formed between the first guide rail and the second guide rail to allow an inside of the case to communicate with an inside of the stationary cover.

5. The liquid dispenser of claim 4 , further comprising an outflow pipe that extends from the inside of the case and is connected to the dispenser nozzle through the opening so as to supply liquid from the case to the dispenser nozzle of the adjustable cover.

6. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the coupling bracket includes:
a first protrusion having a magnet pocket configured to receive the at least one magnet; and
a second protrusion spaced apart from the first protrusion to one side, and wherein the guide rail is positioned between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

7. The liquid dispenser of claim 6 , wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion protrude toward the dispenser side cover so as to be adjacent to an inner surface of the stationary cover on which the guide rail is disposed.

8. The liquid dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the stationary cover further includes a guide rail protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface of the stationary cover toward the adjustable cover, and wherein the guide rail is coupled to the inner surface of the stationary cover and configured to surround the guide rail protrusion.

9. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the stationary cover includes:
a first plate coupled to the dispenser side cover; and
a second plate attached to the first plate and configured to form an inner space with the first plate, wherein the adjustable cover is movably received in the inner space.

10. The liquid dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the stationary cover further includes a guide protrusion that protrudes from the second plate toward the inner space and extends in the vertical direction, and wherein the guide rail protrudes from the first plate toward the inner space.

11. The liquid dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the coupling bracket includes:
a first protrusion that protrudes toward the first plate and is in contact with the guide rail, the magnet being provided in a magnet pocket provided in the first protrusion; and
a coupling guide protrusion that protrudes toward the second plate so as to be in contact with the guide protrusion.

12. The liquid dispenser of claim 11 , wherein the first protrusion protrudes in a first direction and the coupling guide protrusion protrudes in a second direction, the first and second directions being perpendicular to each other.

13. The liquid dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the adjustable cover includes a moving plate having a shape that corresponds to the second plate and including the dispenser nozzle provided at a lower part thereof,
wherein the moving plate includes:
a coupling part configured to couple with the coupling bracket; and
a grip positioned below the coupling part and formed on an outside of a side surface of the moving plate so as to be gripped by a user.

14. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser side cover is rotatably coupled to the case in a horizontal direction, and
wherein the stationary and adjustable covers and the dispenser nozzle are rotated as the dispenser side cover is rotated.

15. The liquid dispenser of claim 14 , further comprising a tray rotatably coupled to a base cover that forms a bottom surface of the case, wherein the tray is configured to be rotatable to correspond with the rotation of the dispenser side cover such that the tray is provided below the dispenser nozzle in the vertical direction.

16. A liquid dispenser comprising:
a case; and
a dispenser attached to the case, wherein the dispenser comprises:
a stationary cover including a pair of guide rails spaced horizontally from each other and extending from a top to a bottom of the stationary cover; and
an adjustable cover accommodated within the stationary cover and configured to vertically move with respect to the stationary cover; wherein the adjustable cover comprises:
a coupling bracket fixed to a top of the adjustable cover;
a pair of magnets accommodated within the coupling bracket and corresponding to the pair of guide rails in the stationary cover; and
a dispenser nozzle configured to dispense liquid from the case, wherein the pair of magnets are magnetically attracted to the pair of guide rails, respectively, such that the adjustable cover is configured to be moved or held in place at a plurality of vertical points along the pair of guide rails.

17. The liquid dispenser of claim 16 , wherein the coupling bracket further comprises a pair of protrusions corresponding to the pair of magnets, wherein a first guide rail of the pair of guide rails is configured to be located between a first magnet of the pair of magnets and a first protrusion of the pair of protrusions, and a second guide rail of the pair of guide rails is configured to be located between a second magnet of the pair of magnets and a second protrusion of the pair of protrusions.

18. The liquid dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the coupling bracket further comprises a pair of magnet pockets configured to accommodate the pair of magnets, respectively.

19. The liquid dispenser of claim 18 , wherein the stationary cover comprises a first guide protrusion provided on a first inner lateral side of the stationary cover and a second guide protrusion provided on a second inner lateral side of the stationary cover opposite the first inner lateral side.

20. The liquid dispenser of claim 19 , wherein the coupling bracket further comprises a first coupling guide protrusion on a first lateral side of the coupling bracket and a second coupling guide protrusion on a second lateral side of the coupling bracket opposite the first lateral side, wherein the first and second coupling guide

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Soonki
• Kim Minho
• Jang Hoon
• Ji Jingyu

Classifications

• C02F2307/10

  as part of a potable water dispenser, e.g. for use in homes or offices · CPC title

• B67D2001/0095

  Constructional details · CPC title

• B67D1/0014

  the beverage being supplied from water mains · CPC title

• B67D2210/00041

  Doors · CPC title

• B67D1/0888

  Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means) · CPC title