Abstract:
A refrigerating appliance includes a cabinet, a dispenser for ice and/or water mounted within the cabinet, a valve controller for outputting a valve opening signal if the dispenser requires water, and a device for making the valve opening signal available outside the cabinet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a refrigerating appliance such as a household refrigerator, freezer or the like which includes a dispenser for ice and/or water. 
         [0002]    Conventional cooling appliances without a dispenser could be placed quite freely in a kitchen, without regard to the location of water spigots or faucets. Therefore, locations adjacent water spigots or faucets tend to be occupied by appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines which conventionally must be connected to a fresh water supply and to a drain for waste water, whereas the distance between the refrigerator location and the spigot or faucet can be quite long. 
         [0003]    In order for the dispenser of the refrigerating appliance to refill automatically whenever a user has drawn off cold water or ice, the refrigerating appliance must also be connected to a water spigot or faucet. If locations close to the spigot or faucet are occupied, such a connection may have to be quite long. Quite frequently, consumers install such a connection themselves, possibly using a plastic hose of mediocre quality, which may bust if it is subjected to water mains pressure continuously for many months or years. If that happens while nobody is at home, damages can be considerable. 
         [0004]    In order to prevent damage by water, dishwashers and washing machines are conventionally equipped with a leakage protection device known as Aqua-Stop. That device includes a solenoid valve for mounting directly at the outlet of the spigot or faucet, a hose which connects the outlet of the solenoid valve to the appliance proper, and a protective tube which extends around the hose and is non-detachably connected to the appliance body and to the body of the solenoid valve. If there is a leak in the solenoid valve, in the hose or in connections therebetween, the protective tube is flooded, and water from the protective tube will finally reach an internal leakage sensor of the appliance which responds by closing the solenoid valve. 
         [0005]    The reliability of the Aqua-Stop device depends on the sealed connection between the protective tube and the appliance body. Therefore, washing appliances conventionally come with the Aqua-Stop device attached in a way which cannot be detached non-destructively by a user. In consequence, the user has to cope with the length of the protective tube provided by the appliance manufacturer. Since the protective tube houses both the hose and cables for controlling the solenoid valve, it tends to be rather wide and stiff, so that if it is much longer than necessary to span the distance between the appliance and the spigot or faucet, the protective tube is difficult to accommodate between the appliance and a wall in which the spigot or faucet is located. Therefore, the length of the Aqua-Stop tube is usually not much more than the width of the appliance body to which it is connected. If a refrigerator was equipped with such a short Aqua-Stop tube, it is likely that it would not span the distance between an existing refrigerator location and the spigot or faucet. If, on the other hand, the Aqua-Stop tube had a length of several meters, accommodating it would be difficult if the distance to the spigot or faucet was short. Producing refrigerating appliances with different lengths of Aqua-Stop tubes would cause serious logistic problems both in manufacture and in the retail chain. Therefore, a more flexible solution is required for reducing the risk of substantial water damage by a leak in the supply tube to a refrigerating appliance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a refrigerating appliance which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known appliances of this general type. 
         [0007]    With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a refrigerating appliance comprising a cabinet, a dispenser for ice and/or water mounted within the cabinet, a valve controller for outputting a valve opening signal if the dispenser requires water, and a device for making the valve opening signal available outside the cabinet. In this case, it is the consumer&#39;s choice whether he or she wishes to install a solenoid valve controlled by the valve controller or not, and what length of tubing he or she needs for a connection between the spigot or faucet and the appliance. If desired, a suitable solenoid valve can be supplied by the appliance manufacturer along with the refrigerating appliance, and a suitable pressure-resistant hose may be provided in a length specified by the consumer by a retailer selling the appliance. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another feature of the invention, at least one valve controlled by the valve opening signal can be provided within the cabinet, so that the flow of water to the dispenser can be interrupted even if no external solenoid valve is installed. However, even if the external solenoid valve is installed, the further valve within the cabinet is useful to prevent dripping of the dispenser after the external valve has been closed. 
         [0009]    In accordance with a further feature of the invention, if the dispenser includes a cold water dispensing unit and an ice maker, a first valve as mentioned above may be located in a water supply line of the cold water dispensing unit, a second valve may be located in a water supply line of the ice maker, and valve opening signals for the first and second valves are available at the terminal, so as to enable the external solenoid valve to open whenever one of the two dispenser units requires water. Further, if the solenoid valve is open only while a dispenser unit requires water, pressure downstream of the external solenoid valve can be kept low most of the time, thus substantially reducing the pressure load to which the connection between the solenoid valve and the appliance are subjected. 
         [0010]    In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the device for making the valve opening signal available outside the cabinet may include a wireless transmitter or a power line transmitter. 
         [0011]    In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, according to a simpler embodiment, the device for making the valve opening signal available includes a terminal on the outside of the cabinet. 
         [0012]    In principle, the terminal may be formed of any type of electrically conductive surface to which leads of a cable can be soldered, screwed or fixed in any other appropriate way. Preferably, the terminal is a connector socket, so that an electrical connection can be formed by simply plugging in a mating connector. 
         [0013]    In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the external valve mentioned above is preferably attached to the terminal by a flexible cable. 
         [0014]    This cable can be separate from and independent of any hose leading from the external valve to the refrigerating appliance, so that a consumer can cut to measure and install the hose without any risk of electric shock or of damaging signal lines in the cable. 
         [0015]    The flexible cable may be provided by the appliance manufacturer readily connected to the external valve and to the mating connector; if a predetermined length of this cable is not sufficient for the needs of a particular consumer, an extension cable can be installed between the flexible cable and the terminal of the appliance. 
         [0016]    Since the flexible cable is much thinner and more easily bent than the conventional Aqua-Stop tube, its length can be more generously dimensioned; any length of cable that is not needed for reaching the spigot or faucet can be stored conveniently on a hook provided on the cabinet adjacent the terminal. 
         [0017]    In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, a connector for the water supply hose should be provided on the appliance cabinet, preferably close to a bottom thereof. 
         [0018]    In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, a leakage detector may be associated with the connector for the water supply hose, in order to detect at least leakage occurring at the connector. 
         [0019]    In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the leakage detector may include a collecting tray or dish underneath the connector and a water sensor associated with the collecting tray or dish. 
         [0020]    In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, since refrigerating appliances conventionally have an evaporation dish for evaporating condensate which forms at an evaporator of the appliance during operation, the collecting tray may be or may communicate with such an evaporation dish, and the water sensor may be disposed so as to monitor the water level in the evaporation dish. In this way, the sensor is able to detect not only leakage but also excessive condensate formation which in the long run might also cause water to spill from the evaporation dish. 
         [0021]    Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0022]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a refrigerating appliance, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
         [0023]    The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, floor plan of a kitchen illustrating problems to be solved by the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  a rear-perspective view of a refrigerating appliance; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a vertical-sectional view of the refrigerating appliance and a view of associated components laid out for installation according to a first embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a vertical-sectional view of a refrigerating appliance and its associated components according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is seen a floor plan of a kitchen in which a refrigerating appliance according to the present invention is to be used. A water spigot or faucet  2  and a non-illustrated drain hidden below a sink  3  are disposed in a wall  1  of the kitchen. The water spigot  2  is only closed in exception circumstances, if maintenance work is necessary at equipment connected downstream of the spigot  2 , such as a sink-top water faucet  4  or a dishwasher  5 . The dishwasher  5  occupies a location next to the sink  3 , so that its connections to the spigot  2  and the drain are short. A refrigerator  6  is located rather far from the spigot, possibly because when the kitchen was first planned, there was no need for the refrigerator  6  to be connected to water mains. If a consumer wants to replace the refrigerator  6  with a new one having a water and ice dispenser, a connection to the spigot  2  must be provided. If a water supply hose or tubing  7  has to bypass a corner cupboard or cabinet  8  as shown, in order to span the distance between the spigot  2  and the refrigerator, sharp bends may be necessary, so that if the hose  7  is too wide or too stiff, pleats or kinks may form in it which in the long run may cause the hose or tubing to burst. 
         [0029]    A refrigerator cabinet or housing  9  suitable for installation in this location is shown in  FIG. 2 . As usual, the refrigerator cabinet  9  has a cuboid body  10 , a door  11  which faces away from the viewer in  FIG. 2 , and a machinery compartment  12  which is formed in a bottom rear corner of the body  10  and accommodates a compressor  13  and possibly other components of a cooling unit, such as an evaporation dish  14  of a leakage detector and a condenser, etc. A water inlet connector  15  for connection to a water supply hose  7  is located in the machinery compartment  12  above the evaporation dish  14 . A female electric connector  16  is mounted to a sidewall of the machinery compartment  12 . When the refrigerator cabinet  9  is delivered to the consumer, a flexible cable  17  having a solenoid valve  18  attached to one end thereof and a male connector  19  connected to the other end thereof is suspended from a hook  20  at the rear wall of the body  10 . The cable  17  may have a length of several meters, so that in most practical cases in which a room in which the refrigerator cabinet  9  is installed has a spigot for connection to the cable, the cable  17  will be sufficient to span the distance between the spigot  2  and the refrigerator cabinet  9 . As is seen in  FIG. 3 , an adequate length of hose  7  equipped with connectors  21 ,  22  respectively mating an outlet of the solenoid valve  18  and the water inlet connector  15 , can be provided by a retailer who installs the refrigerator cabinet  9 , or may be acquired by the consumer himself or herself. 
         [0030]    Since water consumption of the refrigerator is far lower than that of washing appliances, the cross section of the hose  7  can be quite small, e.g. 3/16″ and, since the free cross section of the solenoid valve  18  need not be larger than that of the hose  7 , a small and inexpensive solenoid valve can be used. 
         [0031]    As is shown in  FIG. 3 , when the refrigerator cabinet  9  is installed, the solenoid valve  18  is connected to an outlet of the spigot  2 , and the connector  19  is plugged into the connector  16 . Any length of the cable  17  which is not needed for spanning the distance between the refrigerator cabinet  9  and the spigot  2  may be left hanging from the hook  20 , so that it will not clutter the floor below the refrigerator body  10 . 
         [0032]    The hose  7  is connected to the outlet of the solenoid valve  18  and to the water inlet connector  15 . Since the diameter of the hose  7  is small, it can pass sharp bends such as a bend  23  shown in  FIG. 1 , without kinking, and there is little risk that the hose  7  will be damaged during installation. 
         [0033]    An internal pipe  24  of the refrigerator cabinet  9  extends from the connector  15 . The internal pipe  24  supplies water to an ice maker  25  through a first branch  26  and to a water tank  27  of a cold water dispensing unit through a second branch  28 . 
         [0034]    The ice maker  25  is known as such and is therefore not shown in detail. It includes an ice tray in which ice cubes are formed. When the ice cubes are ready, the tray is turned over and twisted in order to eject the ice cubes into a storage bin  29 . Then the tray is turned back into an upright position, and the tray is refilled with water from the pipe  24 . In order to refill the tray, an electronic controller  30  provides valve opening signals to a solenoid valve  31  located close to a downstream end of the branch  26  and, through terminals of the connector  16 , to the solenoid valve  18 . Since the terminals are well protected from unintentional contact with a user&#39;s fingers inside the connector  16 , mains voltage can be used for powering and controlling the solenoid valve  18 . The duration of the opening signal supplied to the solenoid valve  18  is controlled so that the quantity of water that is let through is just sufficient to fill the tray. The opening signal supplied to the solenoid valve  31  may end a fraction of a second later than that of the valve  18 , so that the water pressure in the hose  7  and the internal pipe  24  drops to ambient pressure before the valve  31  closes as well. 
         [0035]    The water tank  27  is located within an insulating layer of the door  11 , so that the water in it is cooled to a temperature between ambient temperature and that of a storage compartment  32  inside the cabinet  10 , safely above the freezing temperature. The cold water dispensing unit further includes a water outlet  33  at the ceiling of a dispenser niche  34  which communicates with the tank  27 , adjacent an ice chute  35  from the storage bin  29 . While a user presses a button  37  on an operating panel  36  above the dispenser niche  34 , the electronic controller  30  provides valve opening signals to the valve  18  and to a valve  38  located in the branch  28 . While both valves  18 ,  38  are open, fresh water flows into the tank  27  and cold water from the tank  27  flows to the water outlet  33 . When the user releases the button  37 , the valve opening signal supplied to the valve  18  stops, and the valve  18  closes. Immediately afterwards, the opening signal supplied to the valve  38  also stops, so that in this case too, the hose  7  is depressurized. 
         [0036]    Even if a leak should form in the hose  7  or between the connectors  22  and  15 , water will escape from it only while either the ice maker or the water dispenser draws water, since at other times, the hose  7  is under ambient pressure. While one of ice maker and water dispenser draws water, the water flow ensures that pressure in the pipe  24  is lower than in the water mains, so that even at these times, stress on the hose  7  is low. 
         [0037]    If there is a leak between the connectors  22  and  15 , water that escapes through it will be caught in the evaporation dish  14  underneath, and to a certain extent it can be evaporated there along with condensate from the evaporator  39  without causing any problems. As an additional safety measure, a water level sensor  42  seen in  FIG. 1 , which may be provided at the evaporation dish  14 , triggers an alarm if the water level rises in the dish  14  above a predetermined level. 
         [0038]    If desired, a non-illustrated protective tube might be provided through which the hose  7  extends. The protective tube can be open at both ends, or one end of it can be connected to a casing of the solenoid valve  18  so as to catch any water that might leak from there. Since the location of the water spigot  2  at the wall  1  is usually higher than that of the connectors  22 ,  15 , any leakage water which is caught in the protective tube will finally escape from its downstream end, fixed to the connector  22 , and will cause the water level sensor  42  to produce an alarm. 
         [0039]    According to a second embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  there is no wired signal connection between the electronic controller  30  and the solenoid valve  18 . Instead, the controller  30  includes a radio transmitter  40 , e.g. a Bluetooth interface, and a corresponding receiver  41  which receives the valve opening signal is associated with the solenoid valve  18 . Installation of the refrigerator is thus simplified, since the only connection which still has to be established between the refrigerator and the solenoid valve  18  is by the hose  7 . Operating power may be provided to the solenoid valve  18  and the receiver  41  by any conveniently located mains socket  43 . 
         [0040]    Alternatively, the transmitter  40  can be a power line transmitter which communicates with the receiver  41  not by radio waves but by an AF signal modulated onto the mains voltage by the transmitter  40  and demodulated by the receiver  41 . 
         [0041]    The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:
     1  Wall     2  water spigot or faucet     3  sink     4  sink-top faucet     5  dishwasher     6  refrigerator     7  hose     8  corner cupboard     9  refrigerator cabinet     10  body     11  door     12  machinery compartment     13  compressor     14  evaporation dish     15  water inlet connector     16  electric connector     17  cable     18  solenoid valve     19  male connector     20  hook     21  connector     22  connector     23  bend     24  pipe     25  ice maker     26  first branch     27  water tank     28  second branch     29  storage bin     30  controller     31  solenoid valve     32  storage compartment     33  water outlet     34  dispenser niche     35  ice chute     36  operating panel     37  button     38  valve     39  evaporator     40  transmitter     41  receiver     42  water sensor     43  mains socket