Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016178273-A1
Application number	US-201414576093-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator may include a cabinet and a drinkable liquid dispensing system. The cabinet may include chilled cavity, insulation surrounding the chilled cavity, and a door by which the chilled cavity is opened and closed. The chilled cavity may include a reservoir configured to store liquid provided thereto from an external liquid source for chilling in the chilled cavity. The drinkable liquid dispensing system may include dispenser tubing and a liquid dispenser. The dispenser tubing may be configured to transport the chilled liquid from the reservoir to the liquid dispenser. An insulated portion of the dispenser tubing may be positioned between the chilled cavity and the insulation. The liquid dispenser may be positioned within the door and configured to dispense the chilled liquid transported thereto by the dispenser tubing upon request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet comprising a chilled cavity, insulation surrounding the chilled cavity, and a door by which the chilled cavity is opened and closed, the chilled cavity comprising a reservoir configured to store liquid provided thereto from an external liquid source to be chilled in the chilled cavity; and a drinkable liquid dispensing system comprising dispenser tubing and a liquid dispenser, the dispenser tubing being configured to transport the chilled liquid from the reservoir to the liquid dispenser, an insulated portion of the dispenser tubing being positioned between the chilled cavity and the insulation, the liquid dispenser being positioned within the door and configured to dispense the chilled liquid transported thereto by the dispenser tubing upon request.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing is positioned tangent to the chilled cavity.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing is positioned between a bottom wall of the chilled cavity and the insulation.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing is secured to the chilled cavity by the insulation.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the chilled cavity further comprises a dispenser tubing hole at a rear bottom wall of the chilled cavity from which the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing extends.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the reservoir comprises an outlet configured to provide the chilled liquid to a chilled portion of the dispenser tubing positioned in the chilled cavity and connected to the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing through the dispenser tubing hole.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the cabinet further comprises a machine compartment positioned underneath the insulation, and
wherein the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing extends from the dispenser tubing hole to a location at which the insulation interfaces with a front area of the machine compartment.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein, when the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing is at a position between the insulation and the chilled cavity at which the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing is separated from the front area of the machine compartment by a first hole in the insulation, the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing runs through the first hole in the insulation to the insulation interface location.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the cabinet further comprises a freezer cavity positioned adjacent to the chilled cavity and insulated from the chilled cavity by a mullion filled with the insulation, and
wherein the insulation interface location is substantially adjacent to the mullion.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein an ambient portion of the dispenser tubing meets the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing at the insulation interface location.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the ambient portion of the dispenser tubing is positioned within the front area of the machine compartment, and
wherein a liquid valve is positioned in the ambient portion of the dispenser tubing.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the cabinet further comprises a freezer cavity and a freezer door comprising the liquid dispenser, the freezer cavity being positioned adjacent to the chilled cavity and insulated from the chilled cavity, the freezer door being configured to close the freezer cavity, and
wherein the ambient portion of the dispenser tubing extends from the insulation interface location to a location at which a second hole in a hinge of the freezer door interfaces with the front area of the machine compartment.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the door portion of the dispenser tubing extends from the freezer door interface location through the freezer door to the liquid dispenser.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the chilled cavity further comprises a tubing hole in a rear wall thereof from which the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing extends.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the reservoir comprises an outlet configured to provide the chilled liquid to a chilled portion of the dispenser tubing positioned in the chilled cavity, the chilled portion of the dispenser tubing being connected to the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing through the tubing hole.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the insulated portion of the dispenser tubing comprises a first insulated section and a second insulated section, the first insulated section being substantially positioned between a rear wall of the chilled cavity and the insulation, the second insulated section being substantially positioned between a top wall of the chilled cavity and the insulation.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein an ambient portion of the dispenser tubing comprises a first ambient section and a second ambient section, the first ambient section extending between the first insulated section and the second insulated section, the second ambient section extending from the second insulation section.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the first insulated section extends upward from the tube hole between the rear wall of the chilled cavity and the insulation and exits the insulation to meet the first ambient section between the insulation and a rear wall of the cabinet, and
wherein the first ambient section extends upward from the first insulated section between the insulation and the rear wall of the cabinet and meets the second insulated section at a first location at which the insulation interfaces with an area between a rear wall of the cabinet and the insulation, the second insulated section extending through a first hole in the insulation to meet with the first ambient section at the first insulation interface location.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 18 , wherein the second insulated section extends through a second hole in the insulation and meets the second ambient section at a second location at which the insulation interfaces with a top wall of the cabinet, the second insulated section extending through a second hole in the insulation to reach the second insulation interface location,
wherein the second ambient section extends from the second insulated section from the second insulation interface location through the top wall of the cabinet and out of a cabinet-side portion of a hinge for the door, the cabinet-side portion of the hinge being positioned on the top wall of the cabinet, wherein the second ambient section extends from the cabinet-side portion of the hinge through a door-side portion of the hinge positioned at a top wall of the door to meet a door portion of the dispenser tubing that extends through the door to the liquid dispenser, and wherein a liquid valve is positioned in the second ambient section of the dispenser tubing.

20 . A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet comprising a chilled cavity, insulation surrounding the chilled cavity, and a door by which the chilled cavity is opened and closed, the chilled cavity comprising a reservoir configured to store liquid provided thereto from an external liquid source to be chilled in the chilled cavity; and a drinkable liquid dispensing system comprising dispenser tubing and a liquid dispenser, the dispenser tubing being configured to transport the chilled liquid from the reservoir

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Inc

Inventors

• Hall David L
• Kelly Paul H

Classifications

• B67D1/0857

  Cooling arrangements (cooling systems per se F25B) · CPC title

• F25D2400/04

  Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion · CPC title

• E05Y2900/31

  for refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D2201/12

  using an insulating packing material · CPC title

• F25D23/061

  with conduit means · CPC title