The present invention relates generally to the field of refrigerators having ice dispensers, and more specifically, to a refrigerator having a bulk ice dispenser with an integrated switch mechanism.
Many refrigerators manufactured today provide users with the ability to obtain water and/or ice through the door of the freezer or refrigerator compartments such that the water and/or ice may be obtained without the need to open the refrigerator or freezer door and expose the lower temperature compartment to the warmer room temperature of the surrounding environment. However, such “through the door” service is typically suitable only for dispensing relative small amounts of ice (e.g., for a single drinking glass) and is not well suited for dispensing ice in a bulk fashion because of the often limited space available with through the door services.
In order to efficiently dispense ice in bulk quantities, it is often necessary to open the refrigerator or freezer door, where a user may obtain bulk ice via an ice maker or ice dispenser through a discharge chute. In order to actuate the ice dispenser such that ice is discharged from the ice dispenser and through the discharge chute, a separate switching mechanism is typically needed from that used for through the door service.
Many refrigerators providing bulk ice service provide the switch mechanism for the ice dispenser within the refrigerated compartment in the form of, for example, a push button switch attached to a wall portion of the refrigerator compartment, such that bulk ice is dispensed for as long as a user depresses the switch.
One challenge of such bulk ice dispensing units is that the switch may not be aesthetically pleasing and may be unsightly in comparison with the often otherwise “clean” designs of many refrigerators.
Another challenge of typical ice dispensing switches is that the switch may be in an inconvenient location (e.g., located on a sidewall of the refrigerator compartment) where it may be difficult for a person receiving bulk ice to also depress the actuation switch.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a refrigerator having a bulk ice dispensing unit with an aesthetically pleasing, integrated switch mechanism. It would also be advantageous to provide a refrigerator having a bulk ice dispensing unit with an easily accessible switch mechanism.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a refrigerator with an ice dispenser that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features or addresses one or more of the above-identified needs. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-identified needs.
One embodiment relates to a refrigerator assembly comprising a refrigerator compartment having a door moveable between an open position and a closed position, a freezer compartment separated from the refrigerator compartment by a divider wall and having an ice dispenser, a discharge chute coupled to the ice dispenser and located in the refrigerator compartment, the discharge chute configured to direct ice discharged from the ice dispenser, and a cover that covers at least a portion of the discharge chute, the cover comprising at least one panel member that is depressible to actuate an electrical switch for the ice dispenser.
Another embodiment relates to a discharge chute assembly for an appliance comprising a body having a front surface, a switch lever having an outer surface substantially coplanar with the front surface, and an electrical switch coupled to the body and configured to operate an ice dispenser upon actuation. The switch lever is configured to activate the electrical switch.
Yet another embodiment relates to an appliance comprising a dispenser, a discharge chute, and a cover for the discharge chute, wherein a flat portion of the cover conforms to the discharge chute, the flat portion being flexible to a flexed position to actuate a switch and thereby operate the dispenser such that material is discharged into the discharge chute.
The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combinations of features as may be generally recited in the claims.
The drawings will be come more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, in which:
Referring to
According to one embodiment, refrigerator 10 includes a dispenser mechanism 22. As shown in
Referring further to
According to one embodiment, when door 16 is in an open position, for example, as shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring further to
Referring now to
As shown in
According to an exemplary embodiment, lever 44 is made of a clear polycarbonate material, and a rear surface 54 of lever 44 is painted in a white or glossy white finish. According to another embodiment, lever 44 may be manufactured using a white rear surface material (e.g., mylar, etc.), and an injection molding process to form the clear portion (e.g., using an injection molding process, as an in-mold decoration). Other means of manufacturing lever 44 may also be used according to various other alternative embodiments. Once mounted, lever 44 (e.g., the clear polycarbonate material with rear painted surface) provides the appearance of ice (e.g., an ice slab) being on the surface of the cover 34. Further, this “visual feel” of an ice slab overlying cover 34 provides an intuitive suggestion to users that discharge chute assembly 24 provides ice to users.
As shown in
According to an exemplary embodiment, switch 50 is a direct circuit (DC) switch that is coupled to the ice dispenser within freezer compartment 14 such that actuation of switch 50 operates the ice dispenser. Referring now to
According to an exemplary embodiment, switch 50 is coupled to body 42 of cover 34 via a housing 58. Housing 58 may be made of any suitable material, including various plastic materials. A spring 56 is located within housing 58. According to one embodiment, spring 56 is a coil spring and is intended to resist depression of lever 44 and to provide a force tending to return lever 44 to the normal, or unflexed, position (e.g., such that switch 50 is not actuated by end 46). Other types of springs may alternatively be used according to various other embodiments. Switch 50, lever 44, and spring 56 may be configured such that a user may actuate the switch with a minimal amount of force, thereby easing the effort required to dispense bulk ice. For example, spring 56 may provides a unique feel, or touch, for users of lever 44, similar to that of clicking a computer mouse. Switch 50 and spring 56 may be mounted to or housed within housing 58 using any suitable methods, including fasteners, adhesives, recesses, etc., and the orientation and position of the components may vary from that shown in
As discussed with respect to the FIGURES, cover 34 is a discrete component from discharge chute 32. One advantage of this type of configuration is that a user does not have to physically move chute 32, but only depress lever 44, to activate the ice dispenser. According to an alternative embodiment, cover 34 and chute 32 may be provided as an integral piece (e.g., an injection molded piece, etc.) According to another embodiment, one or more portions of discharge chute 32 and/or cover 34 may be provided as an integral part of refrigerator compartment 12 and/or freezer compartment 14.
Further, while the various embodiments discussed herein are generally directed to a refrigerator, it should be understood that the teachings contained herein may be extended to a wide variety of other refrigerated appliances and other devices. The term “refrigerated appliance” relates to appliances that have a cooled or chilled enclosure, including a combination refrigerator (e.g., cooled storage for fresh foods) and freezer, refrigerator (only), freezer (only), and having any of a variety of configurations or applications (e.g., side-by-side, over-under, under-counter, drawers, icemakers, wine storage, etc.). Further yet, according to various alternative embodiments, the cover and discharge chute assembly may also be used to dispense water in a bulk manner, either as an integrated ice/water dispenser, or as a separate component (e.g., having a similar cover to that discussed herein with respect to the various embodiments).
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the information card and holder as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present inventions have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or resequenced according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any means-plus-function clause is intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions maybe made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present inventions as expressed in the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080168782 A1 | Jul 2008 | US |