Patent ID: 7156369

Claim:
A valve device ( 1 ) for the control of a flow of air, in particular for a refrigerator, comprising a support structure ( 2 ) in which at least a first opening ( 8 , 9 ) is defined, a shutter ( 13 ) which is mounted for pivoting in that structure ( 2 ) and which is adapted to take up at least a first and a second angular position, in which it closes and opens at least partially the first opening ( 8 , 9 ) of the structure ( 2 ), respectively, and an actuator device ( 25 ) which is capable of bringing about an angular movement of the shutter ( 13 ) relative to the support structure ( 2 ); the valve device ( 1 ) being characterized in that the shutter ( 13 ) is mounted in the support structure ( 2 ) so as to be translatable away from and towards the said first opening ( 8 ) and control means ( 36 ; 40 ; 21 , 22 ) are associated with the shutter ( 13 ) and are capable of bringing about the movement thereof towards the first opening ( 8 ) when the shutter ( 13 ) reaches the above-mentioned first angular position, respectively, and the movement thereof away from said opening ( 8 ) when the pivoting shutter ( 13 ) leaves the said first angular position, wherein a first and a second opening ( 8 , 9 ) are defined in the support structure ( 2 ) angularly spaced apart from each other about an axis (A—A) and the shutter ( 13 ) is mounted for pivoting substantially about that axis (A—A) and is adapted to take up a first and a second angular position in which it closes the first and second openings ( 8 , 9 ) of the structure ( 2 ), respectively, and wherein the support structure ( 2 ) has at least a third opening ( 10 ) with angular spacing relative to the first and second openings ( 8 , 9 ) in such a manner that, when the shutter ( 13 ) takes up the first and second angular positions, respectively, communication is enabled between the second opening ( 9 ) and the third opening ( 10 ) and between the first opening ( 8 ) and the third opening ( 10 ), respectively.