Claims:We Claim:
1. A liquid dispenser (11) in a household appliance (10) , said appliance comprising a door (12), a door liner (13), a liquid activator (14) fitted on said door (12),
said liquid dispenser (11) comprising:
- a first assembly unit (16) having a tank (18), a cover (20) with a filling lid (22);
- a second assembly unit (24) fitted in between said door (12) and said door liner (13);
characterized in that:
- said first assembly unit (16) comprising a connecting element (26) and a sealing element (28), said sealing element (28) is assembled to said tank (18) followed by said connecting element (26).

2. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 1, a lever (30) fitted to said second assembly unit (24) using at least one fitting technique.

3. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first assembly unit (16) is a tank assembly unit and said second assembly unit (24) is a housing assembly unit.

4. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first assembly unit (16) comprises a shaft (32) protruded from said tank (18), said sealing element (28) and said connecting element (26) are assembled at one end of said shaft (32).

5. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second assembly unit (24) comprises a housing (34), a housing connector (36), a lever bush (38) and at least one nut (40), said housing connector (36) is fitted on one surface of said housing (34) and said lever bush (38) and at least one nut (40) is fitted on other surface of said housing (34).

6. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said lever (30) is fitted on said housing (34) of said second assembly unit (24) using said lever bush (38) and said at least one nut (40).

7. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting element (26) of said first assembly unit (16) is fitted into said housing connector (36) of said second assembly unit (24) during assembly of said liquid dispenser (11).

8. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said door liner (13) of said appliance (10) comprises a cut-section (42) corresponding to dimensions of said second assembly unit (24).

9. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first assembly unit (16) is fitted on an inner side (44) of said door liner (13) above said cut-section (42), such that, said connecting element (26) is fitted to said housing connector (36) via an opening (46) made on said door liner (13).

10. The liquid dispenser (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealing element (28) is made movable during an operation of said liquid dispenser (11).
, Description:The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

Field of the invention
[0001]This disclosure relates to a liquid dispenser in a household appliance.

Background of the invention
[0002]The household appliance referred according to the present invention is a refrigerator. The refrigerator is an appliance for keeping foods and beverage at low temperature. Normally, it is preferable that water or beverage should be kept at about 4° C. temperature. When user opens the door of the refrigerator to enjoy water or beverage kept inside, the cool air in the refrigerator escapes from the refrigerator. Then, the refrigerator needs to consume more electric power to lower the inside temperature again. Therefore, in order to reduce the power consumption of the refrigerator, its door should be open as infrequently as possible. For this purpose, the refrigerator having a water dispenser disposed in the door of the refrigerator has recently been marketed.

[0003]A US5971213 patent application discloses a water dispenser of the refrigerator, wherein a water tank of the water dispenser can be refilled by supplying water from the outside of the door of the refrigerator. The dispenser comprises a water supply receptacle means which is built in the door wall of the refrigerator and is located higher than the water tank of the water dispenser and a water flowing means for connecting the water supply receptacle means to the water tank. It also comprises a water supply guide means which is inserted into the water supply receptacle means to define water flowing line from the outside of the door of the refrigerator to the water flowing means.

Brief description of the invention:

[0004]It is an object of the invention to provide a liquid dispenser in a household appliance.

[0005]The objects are solved by the liquid dispenser in a household appliance having the features according to claim 1.

[0006]The invention relates to a liquid dispenser in a household appliance. The appliance comprises a door, a door liner, a liquid activator fitted on the door. The liquid dispenser comprises a first assembly unit having a tank, a cover with a filling lid and a second assembly unit fitted in between the door and the door liner. The first assembly unit comprises a connecting element and a sealing element. The sealing element is assembled to the tank followed by the connecting element.

[0007]A feature of this invention is that, a lever is fitted to the second assembly unit using at least one fitting technique.

[0008]Another feature of this invention is that, the first assembly unit is a tank assembly unit and the second assembly unit is a housing assembly unit.

[0009] Another feature of this invention is that, the first assembly unit comprises a shaft protruded from the tank and the sealing element and the connecting element are assembled at one end of the shaft.

[0010] Another feature of this invention is that, the second assembly unit comprises a housing, a housing connector, a lever bush and at least one nut. The housing connector is fitted on one surface of the housing. The lever bush and at least one nut is fitted on other surface of the housing.

[0011]Another feature of this invention is that, the lever is fitted on said housing of the second assembly unit using the lever bush and the at least one nut.

[0012]Another feature of this invention is that, the connecting element of the first assembly unit is fitted into the housing connector of the second assembly unit during assembly of the liquid dispenser.

[0013]Another feature of this invention is that, the door liner of the appliance comprises a cut-section corresponding to dimensions of the second assembly unit.

[0014]Another feature of this invention is that, the first assembly unit is fitted on an inner side of the door liner above the cut-section, such that, the connecting element is fitted to the housing connector via an opening made on the door liner.

[0015]Another features of this invention is that, the sealing element is made movable during an operation of the liquid dispenser.

[0016]With the above-disclosed liquid dispenser, the liquid filled in the tank will be collected with much ease as it involves less sealing components. The second assembly unit disclosed in the present invention is made of multiple components with the lever fitted at one portion of the housing. This kind of arrangement helps in reducing the overall cost of the product. With the above disclosed new design of liquid dispenser, the inner liner is aesthetically improved. The above disclosed liquid dispenser being a mechanical arrangement will be easy to repair and replace the components in case of any damage during the operation.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings
An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings;
[0017] Figure 1 illustrates a liquid dispenser in a household appliance in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;
[0018] Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the first assembly unit of the liquid dispenser, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0019] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the second assembly unit of the liquid dispenser, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0020]Figure 1 illustrates a liquid dispenser in a household appliance in accordance to an embodiment of the invention. The appliance 10 comprises a door 12, a door liner 13, a liquid activator 14 fitted on the door 12. The liquid dispenser 11 comprises a first assembly unit 16 having a tank 18, a cover 20 with a filling lid 22 and a second assembly unit 24 fitted in between the door 12 and the door liner 13. The first assembly unit 16 comprises a connecting element 26 and a sealing element 28. The sealing element 28 is assembled to the tank 18 followed by the connecting element 26.

[0021]Further the construction of the appliance with the liquid dispenser is explained in detail. According to one embodiment of the invention, the household appliance 10 is a refrigerator chosen from a group of refrigerators comprising a single-door refrigerator, a multi-door refrigerator and the like. However, the appliance is not restricted to the refrigerator it can be any other household appliance that is known to a person skilled in the art like an oven, a dishwasher and the like. The liquid dispenser 11 typically is a water dispenser according to the present invention. As mentioned above, the liquid dispenser 11 comprises two assembly units, the first assembly unit 16 and the second assembly unit 24, wherein the first assembly unit 16 is a tank assembly unit and the second assembly unit 24 is a housing assembly unit. The first assembly unit 16, the second assembly unit 24 and the liquid activator 14 together forms the liquid dispenser 11 in the appliance 10.

[0022]The appliance 10 comprises a lever 30 is fitted to the second assembly unit 24 using at least one fitting technique. The fitting techniques is chosen from a group of techniques comprising a snap-fit, a press-fit, a component fit and the like.

[0023]Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the first assembly unit of the liquid dispenser, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first assembly unit 16 comprises a shaft 32 protruded from the tank 18 and the sealing element 28 and the connecting element 26 are assembled at one end of the shaft 32. The first assembly unit 16 further comprises a tank cover 20 with a fitting lid 22 and a gasket 19 positioned in between the tank 18 and the tank cover 20, such that, the tank 18 is securely closed after filing the liquid. The shaft 32 is positioned in the tank 18 with a portion of the shaft 32 protruding out of the tank 18 via an opening 48. The sealing element 28 of the first assembly unit 16 is made of a silicon according to the present invention, however, it is limited to the silicon material, but can be of any other material that is known to a person skilled in the art. The connecting element 26 acts as a bridge between the first assembly unit 16 and the second assembly unit 24.

[0024]Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the second assembly unit of the liquid dispenser, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The second assembly unit 24 comprises a housing 34, a housing connector 36, a lever bush 38 and at least one nut 40. The housing connector 36 is fitted on one surface of the housing 34. The lever bush 38 and at least one nut 40 is fitted on other surface of the housing 34. The housing connector 36 is enclosed onto a protrusion 50 present on the surface of the housing 34. The dimensions of the protrusion 50 is made corresponding to the dimensions of the housing connector 36. According to one embodiment of the invention, the housing connector 36 and the housing 34 are made as separate components. The door liner 13 of the appliance 10 comprises a cut-section 42 having the dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the second assembly unit 24.

[0025]The lever 30 is fitted on the housing 34 of the second assembly unit 24 using the lever bush 38 and the at least one nut 40. As mentioned earlier in the document, the lever 30 is fitted to the housing 34 using the lever bush 38 and the at least one nut 40. The lever 30, lever bush 38 and the at least one nut 40 are fitted on one side of the housing 34 and the housing connector 36 is connected on an opposite side of the housing 34. For ease of understanding, the lever 30, the lever bush 38 and the at least one nut 40 are fitted on an inner surface of the housing 34, where the door liner 13 is enclosed. The housing connector 36 is fitted on the outer surface of the housing 34, where the door 12 will be enclosed.

[0026]A method of assembling of the liquid dispenser 11 is explained in detail. The combination of the first assembly unit 16, the second assembly unit 24 and the liquid activator 14 forms the liquid dispenser 11. Thus formed liquid dispenser 11 is fitted to the door 12 of the appliance 10 for collecting the water when required.

[0027]The assembly of the first assembly unit 16 is explained as follows. The gasket 19 is assembled to the tank cover 20 and the tank cover 20 along with the gasket 19 is placed/assembled to the tank 18. The sealing element 28 followed by the connecting element 26 is assembled to the protruded shaft 32 of the tank 18. In the final stage, the filling lid 22 is fitted in the tank cover 20.

[0028]In the second assembly unit 24, the housing connector 36 is assembled to the main housing 34 (at the protrusion 50 present on the surface of the housing 34). Then followed by the lever bush 38 and the at least one wing nut 40 along with the lever 30. When the door liner 13 is enclosed on the second assembly unit 24, the housing connector 36 encounters the connecting element 26 of the first assembly unit 16 via an opening 46 present on the door liner 13 of the appliance 10. The connecting element 26 of the first assembly unit 16 is fitted into the housing connector 36 of the second assembly unit 24 during assembly of the liquid dispenser 11.

[0029]The appliance 10 comprises a top door end 52, a bottom door end 54 and a supporting element 56 fitted to the liquid activator 14. The door liner 13 and the door 12 are secured together through the top door end 52 and the bottom door end 54, wherein the second assembly unit 24 is fitted in between the door 12 and the door liner 13 of the appliance 10. The liquid activator 14 along with the supporting element 56 are fitted on the front surface of the door 12 , where a cut-section (not shown) is provided to accommodate the liquid activator 14.

[0030]The second assembly unit 24 is assembled with the door 12 and then the door liner 13 is assembled to the door 12. Then the top door end 52 and the bottom door end 54 are assembled with the door 12 of the appliance 10. The liquid activator 14 and the supporting element 56 are assembled to the front surface of the door 12. The movement of the liquid activator 14 by a user of the appliance 10 causes a movement in the lever 30 of the appliance 10. For instance, when the liquid activator 14 is operated for collecting the liquid, then the lever 30 is made to move upwards. The first assembly unit 16 is fitted on an inner side 44 of the door liner 13 above the cut-section 42, such that, the connecting element 26 is fitted to the housing connector 36 via an opening 46 made on the door liner 13. The sealing element 28 is made movable during an operation of the liquid dispenser 11.

[0031]The user fills the liquid, which according to one embodiment is water into the tank 18 via the filling lid 22. The presence of the filling lid 22 avoids the open of the tank cover 20 every time the liquid is to be filled into the tank 18. The tank assembly unit 16 is made detachable for cleaning purpose. When the user of the appliance 10, operates the liquid activator 14, the lever 30 is moved such that, the shaft 32 and the sealing element 28 is moved in the first assembly unit 16. The movement of the shaft 32 and the sealing element 28 creates a path for the liquid to flow into the second assembly unit 24 and then through the supporting element 56. Thus the liquid that is flowing out of the liquid dispenser 11 is collected on the door 12 of the appliance 10. Since the entire disclosed arrangement is mechanical, one can detach the components easily during the damage or for replacement or for cleaning purpose.

[0032] With the above-disclosed liquid dispenser 11, the liquid filled in the tank 18 will be collected with much ease as it involves less sealing components. The second assembly unit 24 disclosed in the present invention is made of multiple components with the lever 30 fitted at one portion of the housing 34. This kind of arrangement helps in reducing the overall cost of the product. With the above disclosed new design of liquid dispenser 11, the inner door liner 13 is aesthetically improved. The above disclosed liquid dispenser 11 being a mechanical arrangement will be easy to repair and replace the components in case of any damage during the operation.

[0033] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.

List of Reference Signs

10 appliance
11 liquid dispenser
12 door of the appliance
13 door liner of the appliance
14 liquid activator of the appliance
16 first assembly unit
18 tank
19 gasket
20 tank cover
22 filling lid
24 second assembly unit
26 connecting element
28 sealing element
30 lever
32 shaft
34 housing
36 housing connector
38 lever bush
40 at least one nut
42 cut-section on the door liner
44 inner side of the door liner
46 opening on the door liner
48 opening in the first assembly unit
50 protrusion on the housing
52 top door end
54 bottom door end
56 supporting element