Patent Publication Number: US-11029083-B2

Title: Beverage dispenser and refrigeration appliance comprising a beverage dispenser

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser and a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, in which such a beverage dispenser is installed. 
     An essential part of most beverage dispensers is a dispenser recess, which is a component in the form of a box which is open on a front face and which is mounted in a recessed manner in a thermally insulating outer wall of the refrigeration appliance, so that its open front face forms an indentation in the outer wall, into which a receptacle may be introduced in order to fill said receptacle via an outlet arranged at the top of the dispenser recess. 
     Since during use of the beverage dispenser the dispenser recess is obscured by a user standing in front thereof, the dispenser recess is generally provided with an illuminating means. Thus a beverage dispenser is disclosed, for example, in EP 3 045 848 A1 in which a printed circuit board populated with LEDs is arranged to the rear of a front wall above the dispenser recess and the dispenser recess is illuminated by an optical waveguide which captures light from the LEDs and terminates at the top of the dispenser recess on either side of the outlet. 
     In this conventional beverage dispenser, sufficient space for the outlet aperture of the optical waveguide is present at the top of the dispenser recess since the dispenser recess is designed to be sufficiently wide in order to receive receptacles to be filled in all common household widths, but the outlet is considerably narrower than the recess. If, however, the space on either side of the central outlet at the top of the dispenser recess is required for other purposes, then a different means has to be found in order to illuminate the interior of the dispenser recess. This problem arises, in particular, when the space at the top of the dispenser recess is occupied by a plurality of outlets, and control elements assigned to the outlets are arranged adjacent to one another on a rear wall of the dispenser recess, since in this case the respective receptacle has to be suitably positioned in order to actuate one of the control elements in an accurate manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention, therefore, to provide a beverage dispenser which permits simple illumination of the dispenser recess without occupying space therefor at the top of the dispenser recess. 
     In a beverage dispenser comprising an actuation lever which is mounted in a dispenser recess in such a way as to be able to pivot about an axis, at least one lighting means and at least one optical waveguide which extends from the lighting means for illuminating the dispenser recess, the object is achieved by a light exit being provided on the actuation lever and the optical waveguide connecting the lighting means to the light exit of the actuation lever. 
     So that the light of the lighting means is able to reach the light exit on a short path without losses, the lighting means is preferably arranged on a rear wall of the dispenser recess covered by the actuation lever. 
     If the actuation lever is articulated in a manner known per se on a base mounted on the wall, the assembly of the beverage dispenser may be simplified by the optical waveguide also being fastened to the base. In particular, the optical waveguide or a holder of the optical waveguide may be integrally molded with the base. 
     Since such an integral implementation facilitates the discharge of light from the optical waveguide into the base and makes it difficult to guide the light accurately to the positions of the dispenser recess where it is required, according to a preferred embodiment the base and the optical waveguide are configured in two parts. In order to simplify the assembly of the base and the optical waveguide, the base may be a hollow body which is open toward a rear wall of the dispenser recess, one wall thereof having an edge facing the rear wall and at least one recessed portion toward the edge, said recessed portion being open on the edge thereof. The optical waveguide may be mounted in this recessed portion by being inserted from the edge. 
     The base may thus be produced from an opaque plastics material which generally is more cost-effective than a colorless plastics material which is used for the optical waveguide; moreover, the need to provide the base with a coating in order to prevent the escape of light at undesired points is dispensed with. 
     In order to increase the output of light at the light exit of the actuation lever, the light exit and a rough surface, which scatters the light dissipated in the actuation lever, oppose one another on two sides of the actuation lever. The rough surface may, in particular, be fluted and namely preferably transversely to the direction of diffusion of the light in the actuation lever. 
     The actuation lever may have a first lever arm which extends downwardly from the axis and a second lever arm which protrudes from the axis into the recess, in particular in order to actuate a beverage outlet by its movement. Information such as above and below always refer in this case and hereinafter to the usual installed position of the beverage dispenser in a refrigeration appliance. 
     A lower light exit may be provided on a lower face of the second lever arm. 
     Preferably this lower light exit is positioned such that the first lever arm is illuminated via the light exit and/or a receptacle which is held against the first lever arm to be filled is directly illuminated therein from above. 
     Alternatively, the second lever arm may be configured to be self-illuminating by at least one lower light exit being provided on the first lever arm. This is expedient, in particular, if the beverage dispenser comprises a plurality of outlets with assigned actuation levers and it is important when a receptacle is inserted into the dispenser recess to strike the respectively desired actuation lever and only this actuation lever. 
     If the first lever arm is plate-shaped in order to simplify the positioning of the receptacle on the lever arm, the lower light exit may extend along an edge of the plate or may be arranged at a central point of the first lever arm. 
     Moreover, an upper light exit may be provided on an upper face of the second arm or the base. Such a light exit, in particular by reflection at the top of the dispenser recess, may also illuminate this dispenser recess around a receptacle held therein. 
     This permits a comprehensive illumination of the dispenser recess, in particular even if the top of the dispenser recess, against which the light emerging from the upper light exit radiates, is a lower face of a disposable beverage container. 
     If this lower face is transparent, the reflected light may be colored by the beverage which is located in the beverage container, so that the color with which the dispenser recess is illuminated permits information to be provided about the beverage and helps to prevent a different beverage being dispensed from that which is desired. 
     If the upper light exit is aligned with a wall of the beverage container the light in the wall may be dissipated across a long distance in the wall without losses, and by being distributed over the wall surface the light may be transmitted into a beverage stored in the container, and if it has the relevant cloudiness permit said beverage to be illuminated. In order to capture the light without losses, a rib may be formed in the wall. In order to control the transfer of light into the beverage, the cross section of the rib may decrease as the distance from the light exit increases. 
     If the actuation lever is produced from a translucent material provided with an opaque coating, a light exit may be formed by a hole in the opaque coating, for example by an initially opaque coating applied over the entire surface being locally removed again, for example by laser ablation. 
     The opaque coating may comprise an internal and an external layer, wherein the internal layer should be brighter than the external layer in order to conduct the light in the actuation lever to the outlet opening with the fewest losses. 
     If the second arm is hollow, the optical waveguide may terminate in a hollow space of the second arm spaced apart from the light exit. Thus the optical waveguide does not need to follow movements of the actuation lever, which simplifies the assembly of the dispenser. 
     If, as described above, a lower light outlet opening is provided on the first lever arm, in order to supply the lower light outlet opening with light the translucent material may be exposed on an edge of the first lever arm facing the axis of the actuation lever, and the optical waveguide terminates opposite the edge in order to supply its light via this edge into the lever arm. 
     In order to guide the light supplied via the edge to the lower light exit with low losses, the first lever arm may comprise a rib which protrudes from a base plate of the lever arm and extends from the end of the optical waveguide to the lower light exit. By guiding the substantial part of the light emitted by the optical waveguide, the rib prevents the light from being distributed in the width direction of the base plate and as a result prevents it from falling short of the lower light exit. The above-mentioned rough surface may be an edge of the rib remote from the base plate. 
     If the dispenser recess is defined by a housing which is fitted into a thermally insulating wall of the refrigeration appliance and which is open toward an outer face of the wall, a beverage container may be inserted into an upper face of the housing which is open toward the inner face of the wall. 
     In particular, if as described above the light of the lighting means is also supplied into the walls of the beverage container, the thermally insulating wall of the refrigeration appliance is designed to have an aperture through which an illuminated part of the container is visible from the outside. 
     Further features and advantages of the invention are disclosed from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective external view of a door subassembly of a refrigeration appliance according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a horizontal section through the door subassembly, level with the beverage containers mounted therein 
         FIG. 3  shows a section through the door subassembly, level with a dispenser recess; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the dispenser of the door subassembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a housing of the dispenser in a rear view; 
         FIG. 6  shows an actuation lever according to a first embodiment of the dispenser in a front view; 
         FIG. 7  shows the actuation lever of  FIG. 6  in a rear view; 
         FIG. 8  shows a section through the actuation lever along the plane VIII-VIII of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  shows a section through the actuation lever along the plane IX-IX of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 10  shows parts of a beverage dispenser according to a second embodiment in an exploded view; 
         FIG. 11  shows a horizontal section through the actuation lever, the base and the optical waveguide of  FIG. 10  in the assembled state; 
         FIG. 12  shows a vertical section through the beverage dispenser according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  shows a section through an arm of the actuation lever; 
         FIG. 14  shows a further section through the arm; 
         FIG. 15  shows a second vertical section through the beverage dispenser according to the second embodiment; and 
         FIG. 16  shows a section through a wall of a beverage container supplying the beverage dispenser. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIG. 1  a door subassembly  1  and a body  2 , shown only partially, form a housing of a household refrigeration appliance which surrounds a storage compartment for refrigerated goods. The door subassembly  1  is pivotably articulated on the body  2  about an axis  3 . 
     The door subassembly  1  comprises a door  4 , in the narrower sense closing the storage compartment, and a cover  5  which is pivotable relative to the door  4  about the same axis  3 . In the view of  FIG. 1  the door  4  is largely concealed by the cover  5 . 
     The cover  5  comprises a window pane  6  made of clear or tinted glass or plastics material, in this case enclosed by a non-transparent frame  7 . An upper strip of the frame  7  is L-shaped in section with a limb  8  extending vertically upwardly from the window pane  6 , and a limb  9  angled back from an upper edge of the limb  8  toward the body  2 , and extending across an upper flank of the door  4 . Correspondingly, a right-hand strip of the frame comprises a limb  10  extending from the right-hand edge of the window pane  6  in the width direction of the door subassembly  1 , and a limb  11  which is angled back toward the body and which, however, is divided into two by a handle recessed portion  12  into an upper and a lower half. A central piece  13  of the handle recessed portion  12  extends from the edge into the limb  10 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a horizontal section through the door subassembly  1  along a plane which extends level with the handle recessed portion  12  just above the central piece  13 . The door  4  comprises in the conventional manner fixed outer and inner walls  14 ,  15  which are connected along their edges in order to form a hollow space filled with thermally insulating foamed material  16 . Here in each case an opening is cut out of the outer and inner wall  14 ,  15 , into which an insulating glass pane  17  is inserted and sealingly connected to the walls  14 ,  15 . A laterally open handle groove  18  is cut out of a lateral flank of the door  4 . On its side facing the cover  5 , the handle groove  18  is defined by a projection  19 . The limb  10  of the cover protrudes laterally over the projection  19  so that a user who grips the handle recessed portion  12  level with the cutting plane of  FIG. 2  manages to grip the limb  10  of the cover  5  but not necessarily the projection  19  of the door  4 , so that when the user pulls the limb  10  toward himself the cover  5 , rather than the door  4 , pivots about the axis  3 . 
     By pivoting solely the cover  5  about the axis  3 , a dispenser recess  20  is accessible, said dispenser recess having been cut out of a lower part of the door  4  and being shown in  FIG. 3  in a horizontal section through the door subassembly  1 . 
     Level with the central piece  13 , however, the edge of the limb  10  is flush with the projection  19  so that a user grips the handle groove  18 , acting at the level of the central piece, and thus pivots the entire door subassembly  1  about the axis  3  and a storage compartment  21  for refrigerated goods in the interior of the body  2  is accessible. 
       FIG. 2  shows in section a plurality of beverage containers  22  which are accommodated in a recess  23  which is defined by the insulating glass pane  17  and by flanks of the inner wall  15  of the door  4  adjacent thereto, and which is open toward the storage compartment  21 . 
     As may be identified in  FIG. 1  the beverage containers  22  are visible through the insulating glass pane  17  and the window pane  6 . The lower faces  22 ′ of the beverage containers  22  are open at the top of the dispenser recess  20 . The beverage containers  22  may be provided with a text which denotes the contents thereof and which is visible through the panes  6 ,  17 . Preferably, the beverage containers  22  are produced from a transparent plastics material so that the color and filling state of their contents are visible through the panes  6 ,  17 . 
     One respective actuation lever  24  is mounted below each beverage container  22  in the dispenser recess  20 , said actuation lever, in a manner to be described in more detail below, serving to open a valve  25  on the lower face  22 ′ of the beverage container  22  arranged there above, if a receptacle is pressed against the actuation lever  24  in the dispenser recess  20 , and serving to fill the receptacle with a beverage from the container  22 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the dispenser without the surrounding door  4  in a perspective view which corresponds approximately to that of  FIG. 1 . The dispenser recess  20  is defined by an approximately cuboidal housing  26  which is injection-molded from plastics material and which is generally assembled from a plurality of molded parts. The housing has on its front face  27  an opening  28  which in the installed state is open on the front face of the door  4  and forms the entry to the dispenser recess  20 . An upper face  29  of the housing  26  is also open; the beverage containers  22  being guided therein from above as far as a stop. 
     The beverage containers  22  are substantially cuboidal. The beverage containers comprise in each case a container lower part  30  which is preferably formed from glass-clear plastics material, the upper face thereof being closed by a lid  31  and the valve  25  being releasably mounted on the lower face thereof. 
     The valves  25  and the actuation levers  24  are visible through the opening  28  in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the housing  26  in a view from the opposing direction from the side of the storage compartment  21 . The containers  22  are omitted in this view, so that the large-surfaced open upper face  29  is clearly visible. An aperture  33  is cut out from a rear wall  32  of the housing  26  opposing the open front face  27 . A printed circuit board  34  is mounted in the aperture  33 , said printed circuit board extending in the transverse direction across all three containers  22 . A set of LEDs  35  is assigned to each container  22  on the printed circuit board  34 , said LEDs being indicated in dashed lines in  FIG. 5  since they are located on the front face of the printed circuit board  34  remote from the observer. In the case shown here, each set comprises four LEDs  34 , in each case two on each side of the actuation lever  24  assigned to the container  22 . 
       FIG. 6  shows one of the actuation levers  24  in an enlarged perspective view. The actuation lever  24  is pivotably mounted on a base  36  about a horizontal axis  37 . A first lever arm  38  extends from the axis  37  steeply downwards and to the front into the dispenser recess  20 , a second lever arm  39  extends from the axis  37  substantially horizontally to the front. The lever arm  39  is bifurcated by a cut-out  40  which is open to the front and into which the valve  25  of the container  22  arranged thereabove engages, as may be identified in  FIG. 3 . 
     The actuation lever  24  in  FIG. 6  is shown in a resting position. From this resting position the first lever arm  38  may be forced back against the base  36  counter to the force of a restoring spring, not shown, which is inserted between the actuation lever  24  and the base  36 . At the same time, as a result two fingers  41  of the second lever arm  39  on either side of the valve  25  move downwardly and open said valve by pulling actuating projections  42  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the valve  25  downwardly therewith. 
     As is clear in  FIG. 7  both the base  36  and the actuation lever  24  are hollow bodies. The base and actuation lever are open toward the rear wall  32  of the housing  26  without undercuts and therefore may be injection-molded in a simple and cost-effective manner from plastics material. The base  36  has substantially the shape of a planar cuboid, one of the main sides being open and facing the rear wall  32  and/or in the view of  FIG. 7  the observer. In the hollow interior of the cuboid screw domes  42  are formed for anchoring the base  36  to the rear wall  32 . Moreover, a recessed portion  43  formed on the front face of the base  36  facing the actuation lever  24  is illustrated, said recessed portion receiving the restoring spring. 
     A plurality of ribs  45  protrude from an upper narrow side  44  of the base  36 , in each case optical waveguides  47 ,  48  are attached to the ends thereof. Each optical waveguide  47 ,  48  has an inlet aperture  49  which opposes one of the LEDs  35  on the printed circuit board  34 . Adjoining the inlet aperture  49 , the optical waveguides  47 ,  48  in each case are oriented perpendicular to the rear wall  32  and/or to the printed circuit board  34  and the LEDs  35 , in order to capture as fully as possible the light radiated by the LEDs substantially perpendicular to the printed circuit board  34 . The ends of the optical waveguides remote from the rear wall  32  are curved downwardly in the case of the optical waveguide  47  and curved upwardly in the case of the optical waveguide  48 . 
     In the case of  FIG. 7  in each case a downwardly curved optical waveguide  47  and an upwardly curved optical waveguide  48  are arranged to the right and left of a central plane of the base  36 . Naturally it might also be conceivable to provide only upwardly curved or only downwardly curved optical waveguides or respectively only one upwardly curved optical waveguide on one side of the central plane and one downwardly curved optical waveguide on the other side of the central plane. 
     In the simplest case, the optical waveguides  47 ,  48  are bars made of a uniform transparent plastics material and injection-molded integrally with the ribs  46  and the base  36 . The fact that in this case the base  36  also consists of transparent plastics material is barely noticeable to an observer since the base  36  in the interior of the dispenser recess  20  is fully concealed behind the actuation lever  24 . Light losses via the ribs  46  are thus not able to be entirely avoided but may be kept small by a narrow width of the ribs  46 . 
     Optical waveguides  47 ,  48  with lower losses could be formed by bundles of optical fibers onto which the ribs  46  and the base  36  are injection-molded. 
       FIG. 8  shows a section through the base  36 , the actuation lever  24  and the printed circuit board  34  in the plane VIII-VIII of  FIG. 7  extending along the optical axis of one of the two optical waveguides  47 . The actuation lever  24  is injection-molded from transparent plastics material and on at least one side, in this case the outer face facing the dispenser recess  20 , is covered with an opaque coating  50 . The lever arm  39  of the actuation lever  24  is hollow; the upper and lower face  39 ′,  39 ″ of the lever arm  39  in each case are formed by a wall  52  and/or  53  which enclose a hollow space  51 . 
     The optical waveguide  47  extends in the hollow space  51  without being in contact with the upper and lower wall  52  and/or  53  thereof. As a light exit  46  via which the light of the LEDs  35  passes into the dispenser recess  20 , a hole  54  is formed on the lower wall  53  in the opaque coating  50  which opposes an outlet aperture  55  of the optical waveguide  47  so that the light which emerges from the optical waveguide  47  substantially fully strikes the outlet aperture  55  and illuminates the outer face of the lever arm  38  located therebelow and/or, if present, a receptacle pressed against the lever arm  38 . 
       FIG. 8  further shows an axle pin  56  which protrudes from a side wall of the base  36  and which is latched into a recessed portion on a side wall  57  of the actuation lever  24  in order to define the axis  37 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a second section through the base  36 , the actuation lever  24  and the printed circuit board  34  in the plane IX-IX of  FIG. 7  which extends along the optical axis of one of the upwardly curved optical waveguides  48 . In this case, a hole  54  in the opaque coating  50  of the upper wall  52  opposes the outlet aperture  55  of the optical waveguide  48 . The spacing between the outlet aperture  55  and the wall  52  is sufficiently large that the optical waveguide  48  does not come into contact with the wall  52  even if the lever arm  38  bears against the base  36 . 
     Light which passes through the hole  54  of the upper wall  52 , strikes the lower face of the container  22  located thereabove and is reflected back thereby into the dispenser recess  20 . 
     The transparent layer of the walls  52 ,  53  in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  in each case has a thickness which remains the same across the entire extent of the hole  54 , so that the light passes through the holes  54  without altering its direction. However, it might also be conceivable to form the walls  52 ,  53  in the region of the holes  54  as prisms, in order to direct the light in a desired direction, in the case of reduced curvature of the optical waveguides  47 ,  48 , or to form lenses in the walls  52 ,  53  in particular in order to fan out bundled light emerging from the optical waveguides  47 ,  48 , and thus to illuminate the dispenser recess  20  uniformly. 
       FIG. 10  shows parts of a beverage dispenser according to a second embodiment in an exploded view. The beverage dispenser is provided as described above for installation in a refrigeration appliance as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 . One of the parts shown in  FIG. 10  is a printed circuit board  34  populated with a plurality of sets of LEDs  35 . Each of set of LEDs  35  is assigned to an actuation lever  24 . The beverage dispenser considered here, as shown in  FIG. 4 , has three actuation levers  24  (only one thereof being shown in  FIG. 10 ); and accordingly three sets of LEDs  35  are present on the printed circuit board  34 . 
     A housing  58  is provided in order to receive the printed circuit board  34 . Each of the numerous openings  59  of the housing  58  opposes one of the LEDs  35  in order to permit the light thereof to pass through to an optical waveguide  47  or  48 . 
     Here the sets comprise in each case five LEDs  35 . 
     The housing  58  and the printed circuit board  34  are provided in order to be mounted on the rear face, i.e. the side facing the storage compartment  21 , of the rear wall  32  of the dispenser recess, not shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     Optical waveguides  47 ,  48  made of glass-clear plastics opposing the LEDs  35  are connected by projections  61  to form an integral molded part  60 . The optical waveguides  47 ,  48  comprise in each case inlet apertures  49  facing one of the LEDs  35  and/or one of the openings  59 , and alternately upwardly and downwardly oriented outlet apertures  55 . In order to deflect light passed via the inlet apertures  49  into the optical waveguides  47 ,  48  to the outlet aperture  55  the optical waveguides  47 ,  48  may have fully reflective planar surfaces  62  between the inlet and outlet. 
       FIG. 10  also shows a base  36  which serves as a holder for the actuation lever  24  on the front face of the rear wall  32 . The base  36  is a hollow, approximately cuboidal molded part made of plastics material which is open on its rear face, in the mounted state facing the rear wall  32  of the dispenser recess. Indentations  64  are formed on the lateral flanks  63  of the base  36 , said indentations opposing one another and receiving axle pins (not visible in the Fig.) of the actuation lever  24  and thus fixing an axis  37  about which the actuation lever  24  is pivotable relative to the base  36 . 
     The indentations  64  in each case are located at the end of a groove  65  which extends from a front face  66  of the base  36  horizontally via the flanks  63 , so that the actuation lever  24  may be easily latched from the front onto the base  36  by its axle pins initially being inserted into the grooves  65  and pushed therein to the rear until latched in the indentations  64 . 
     In the vicinity of its upper end, the base  36  has a through-passage  67  through which in the assembled state the central optical waveguide  47  of the molded part  60  extends. The lateral flanks  63  of the base  36  in each case extend between the central optical waveguide  47  and the two outer optical waveguides  47  and in each case are provided with a horizontal notch  68 . The notches  68  in the assembled state receive horizontal portions of the projections  61  and thus fix the molded part  60  in the vertical direction. 
     A groove  69  extends vertically downwardly in the base  36  starting from the through-passage  67 . 
     Two recessed portions  72  are formed in an upper wall  70  of the base  36 , starting from an edge  71  facing the rear wall  32  of the dispenser recess, said recessed portions receiving the outlet apertures  55  of the optical waveguides  48  in a flush-mounted manner. 
     The actuation lever  24  comprises a second lever arm  39  protruding above the axis  37  into the dispenser recess and a first lever arm  38  extending obliquely downwardly. The first lever arm  38  comprises a base plate  73  and ribs  74  protruding from a side of the base plate  73  facing the rear wall  32 . If the actuation lever  24  is mounted on the base, two of the ribs  74  encompass the flanks  63  of the base  36  and bear the axle pins engaging in the recessed portions  64  thereof. A further rib  74  is received in the groove  69 . In each case opposite the ribs  74  slotted light exits  46 ′ are formed on a front face of the base plate  73 . 
       FIG. 11  shows a horizontal section through the molded part  60  and the base  36  in the assembled state. Above the notches  68  the cutting plane intersects the upwardly oriented optical waveguides  48  and the vertical portions of the projections  61  connecting the optical waveguides  47 ,  48 . 
       FIG. 12  shows a section through the parts shown in  FIG. 10  in the assembled state along a plane perpendicular to the axis  37  and extending through the central optical waveguide  47 . The housing  58  with the printed circuit board  34  and the base  36  bear against opposing sides of the rear wall  32 . Of the actuation lever  24 , the second lever arm  39  and a part of the first lever arm  38  may be identified. The second lever arm  38  is hollow. The first lever arm  38 . only appears to be more solid than the second lever arm since the cutting plane extends along the central rib  74 , the wall thickness of its base plate  73  corresponding substantially to that of the first lever arm  38 . 
     An upper edge of the base plate  73  and an upper end  75  of the central rib  74  oppose the outlet aperture  55  of the central optical waveguide  47  so that light escaping at this point is largely absorbed by the rib  74  molded from glass-clear plastics material and is conducted downwardly along the rib  74  in the lever arm  39 . An edge of the rib  74  remote from the base plate  73  is roughened by a fluted contour. Edges  82  of this fluted contour extend parallel to the axis  37  and transversely to the direction of the dissipation of the light in the ribs  74  so that light which strikes the facets  76  defined by these edges  82  is reflected in the direction of the base plate  73  and thus the output of light via the light exit  46 ′ (below the cutout shown in  FIG. 12 ) is facilitated. 
     In  FIG. 10  it may be identified that the second lever arm  39  is slightly wider than the first lever arm  38 . As a result, it is also possible to place the outlet aperture  55  of the two outer optical waveguides  47  inside the lever arm  38  over the ends of the outer ribs  74  and thus supply light into the outer ribs  74 . 
       FIGS. 13 and 14  show in each case sections through the first lever arm  38 . The cutting plane of  FIG. 13  is denoted in  FIG. 12  by XIII-XIII and that of  FIG. 14  is located below the cut-out shown in  FIG. 12 . In each case the base plate  73  and the ribs  74  protruding therefrom are identified. An opaque coating  77  covers the lateral flanks of the two outer ribs  73  and the front face of the base plate  73 , with the exception of the light exits  46 ′ which are aligned with the two outer ribs  74 . The coating  77  comprises an outer layer  78  in any color blending with the coloration of the dispenser recess. An internal layer  79  of the coating  77  is white in order to minimize absorption of the light dissipated in the ribs  74  by being absorbed on the coating  77 . 
     In  FIG. 14  a light exit  46 ′ opposes the central rib  74 . The height of the ribs  74  decreases as the distance increases from the axis  37 . The front face of the base plate  73  is concave in  FIG. 14  in order to provide a hold for filling the container pressed thereagainst in the lateral direction and to prevent the container from slipping on a laterally adjacent actuation lever  24 . 
       FIG. 15  shows as in  FIG. 12  a section along a plane perpendicular to the axis  37 , but the plane of  FIG. 15  runs through one of the optical waveguides  48 , the outlet aperture  55  thereof in each case being located in the upper wall  70  of the base  36 . A vertical side wall  80  of the beverage container  22  is supported on this wall  70 . In order to absorb as fully as possible the light of the optical waveguide  48 , the side wall  80 , as shown in  FIG. 16  with reference to a horizontal section along the plane XVI-XVI of  FIG. 15 , in a similar manner to the base plate  73  is reinforced by a rib  81  protruding into the interior of the beverage container  22 . The cross section of the rib  81  reduces as the distance from the outlet aperture  55  increases, so that the light distributed across the height of the rib  81  is scattered into the beverage container  22  and illuminates the contents thereof in a visible manner through the insulating glass pane  17 . 
     REFERENCE CHARACTERS 
     
         
           1  Door subassembly 
           2  Body 
           3  Axis 
           4  Door 
           5  Cover 
           6  Window pane 
           7  Frame 
           8  Limb 
           9  Limb 
           10  Limb 
           11  Limb 
           12  Handle recessed portion 
           13  Central piece 
           14  Outer wall 
           15  Inner wall 
           16  Hollow space 
           17  Insulating glass pane 
           18  Handle groove 
           19  Projection 
           20  Dispenser recess 
           21  Storage compartment 
           22  Beverage container 
           22 ′ Lower face of beverage container 
           23  Recess 
           24  Actuation lever 
           25  Valve 
           26  Housing 
           27  Front face 
           28  Opening 
           29  Upper face 
           30  Container lower part 
           31  Lid 
           32  Rear wall 
           33  Aperture 
           34  Printed circuit board 
           35  LED 
           36  Base 
           37  Axis 
           38  First lever arm 
           39  Second lever arm 
           39 ′ Upper face of second lever arm 
           39 ″ Lower face of second lever arm 
           40  Cut-out 
           41  Finger 
           42  Screw dome 
           43  Recessed portion 
           44  Narrow face 
           45  Rib 
           46  Upper light exit 
           46 ′ Lower light exit 
           47  Optical waveguide 
           48  Optical waveguide 
           49  Inlet aperture 
           50  Coating 
           51  Hollow space 
           52  Upper wall 
           53  Lower wall 
           54  Hole 
           55  Outlet aperture 
           56  Axle pin 
           57  Side wall 
           58  Housing 
           59  Opening 
           60  Molded part 
           61  Projection 
           62  Planar surface 
           63  Lateral flank 
           64  Indentation 
           65  Groove 
           66  Front face 
           67  Through-passage 
           68  Notch 
           69  Groove 
           70  Upper wall 
           71  Edge 
           72  Recessed portion 
           73  Base plate 
           74  Rib 
           75  Upper end 
           76  Facet 
           77  Coating 
           78  External layer 
           79  Internal layer 
           80  Side wall 
           81  Rib 
           82  Edge