Refrigeration device having an ice or water dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625205-B2
Application number	US-201314428430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2013
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A refrigeration device includes an ice or water dispenser having an actuating lever. A light source is spaced apart in a light-emitting direction of the light source by an air gap from a light-coupling surface of the actuating lever.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration device, comprising: an ice dispenser or a water dispenser having a light source with a light-emitting direction and an actuating lever being hinged between a first position and a second position, said actuating lever having a prism section with an upper surface, said upper surface being a light-coupling surface constructed to set a degree of coupling-in of light emitted from said light source to be of equal size in said first position and in said second position; said light source being spaced apart at a distance from said light-coupling surface in said light-emitting direction by an air gap.

2. The refrigeration device according to claim 1 , wherein said light source is disposed at a fixed location.

3. The refrigeration device according to claim 1 , wherein said prism section and said actuating lever are constructed in one piece.

4. The refrigeration device according to claim 1 , wherein said prism section and said actuating lever are constructed from a uniform material.

5. The refrigeration device according to claim 1 , wherein said actuating lever has an edge with at least two side surfaces, a lower connection section and an upper connection section, said upper connection section forming said light-coupling surface.

6. The refrigeration device according to claim 5 , wherein said actuating lever has curved sections each provided between a respective one of said side surfaces and said lower connection section.

7. The refrigeration device according to claim 1 , wherein said prism section tapers.

8. The refrigeration device according to claim 1 , wherein said actuating lever has a light exit surface.

9. The refrigeration device according to claim 8 , wherein said light exit surface is a partly circumferential edge of said actuating lever.

10. The refrigeration device according to claim 8 , wherein said actuating lever has at least one of a front side or a rear side constructed as a total reflection surface.

11. The refrigeration device according to claim 8 , wherein said actuating lever has at least one of a front side or a rear side constructed as said light exit surface.

12. A refrigeration device ensemble, comprising: first and second refrigeration devices, said first refrigeration device having an ice dispenser and said second refrigeration device having a water dispenser; at least one of said dispensers having a light source with a light-emitting direction and an actuating lever being hinged between a first position and a second position, said actuating lever having a prism section with an upper surface, said upper surface being a light-coupling surface constructed to set a degree of coupling-in of light emitted from said light source to be of equal size in said first position and in said second position; and said light source being spaced apart at a distance from said light-coupling surface in said light-emitting direction by an air gap.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Becke Christoph
• Eicher Max
• Gorodezki Swetlana
• Kirschbaum Maike
• Sigl Mathias
• Staud Ralph
• Tischer Thomas
• Werner Hans Peter

Classifications

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25C5/005

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25D27/005 Primary

  combined with control means · CPC title

• F25D2327/001

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