Patent ID: 11858798
Assignee: HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a food storage chamber defined in the cabinet, the food storage chamber extending between a front portion and a back portion along the transverse direction, the front portion of the food storage chamber defining an opening for receipt of food items;
a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet at the front portion of the food storage chamber, the door movable between a closed position and an open position to selectively sealingly enclose the food storage chamber, the door comprising an outer surface and an opposing inner surface, wherein the inner surface faces towards the food storage chamber when the door is in the closed position and the outer surface faces away from the food storage chamber when the door is in the closed position; and
a dispensing assembly formed in the outer surface of the door, the dispensing assembly comprising:
a dispenser recess;
a flexible hose configured for fluid communication with a water supply to deliver water to the dispenser recess;
an actuating mechanism operable to cause the water supply to deliver a flow of water to the flexible hose when the actuating mechanism is activated; and
a vibration generator coupled to the flexible hose and in operative communication with the actuating mechanism, whereby the vibration generator is activated when the actuating mechanism is activated, and wherein the vibration generator moves the flexible hose relative to the dispenser recess along the lateral direction and along the transverse direction when the vibration generator is activated, thereby providing a spiral pattern flow of water from the flexible hose.