A water filter cartridge is provided. The water filter cartridge includes a filter housing enclosing a filtration material therein. A port shield is connected at one end of the filter housing and disposed between the filter housing and a connector part adapted for securing the water filter cartridge to a refrigerator filter part. The port shield is provided for at least partially covering a water inlet port and a water outlet port extending at least between the connector part through the port shield and at least partially through the filter housing. The port shield at least partially encloses the water inlet and/or water outlet port therebetween and also separates the filtration material and unfiltered water within the filter housing from the portions of the water inlet and outlet port within the port shield.

A refrigerator includes a water system and a valve. The water system is configured to direct water to a dispenser or an ice maker. The valve includes a valve body, an inlet port, and a clutch. The valve is configured to connect the water system to a water source. The inlet port is configured to receive a tube to establish fluid communication with the water source and to engage a nut to secure the tube to the inlet port. The clutch is disposed between the inlet port and the valve body and is configured to slip in response to an applied torque to the inlet port exceeding a threshold.

A filtered water supply extension system including an extension member and a flow control device, and a method for extending a filtered water supply of a primary appliance, for example, a refrigerator, to an external appliance, for example, a coffee maker, are provided. The extension member draws and directs an additional flow of filtered water from a water filter of the primary appliance to the external appliance, without interrupting a regular flow of filtered water from the water filter to one or more internal appliances, for example, an ice maker, a water dispenser, etc., of the primary appliance. The flow control device connects the extension member to the external appliance and controls the additional flow of filtered water to the external appliance. A microcontroller, in communication with a control panel, controls a valve assembly for directing a measured quantity of filtered water from the water filter to the external appliance.

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a cooling module including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, and attachable to or detachable from the cabinet so that the cooling module is removably mounted to the cabinet, an electronic device arranged in the cabinet, and an electrical box configured to be electrically connected to the electronic device and the compressor, receive power from outside and supply the received power to the electronic device and the compressor.

A water filter assembly may include a filter body having vertical side walls that defines a cavity within which one or more filter layers may be housed, the filter body further including a plurality of vertical barriers that define a plurality of flow paths that converge on an outlet hole, the vertical barriers further including a plurality of cutouts defining alternative overflow paths permitting water therethrough, and each filter layer including a plurality of vertical barriers that define a plurality of flow paths.

A beverage-dispensing appliance may include a carbonation tank, a carbonator jacket, a cold water line, and an ice bin. The carbonation tank may define a tank volume, a water inlet upstream from the tank volume, a carbon dioxide inlet upstream from the tank volume, and a carbonated water outlet downstream from the tank volume. The carbonator jacket may define a jacket volume disposed about the carbonation tank. The cold water line may extend to the carbonator jacket in upstream fluid communication with the tank volume to direct a cold water flow to the tank volume. The ice bin may be spaced apart from the carbonation tank. The ice bin may define a drain aperture upstream from the cold water line to direct melt water thereto.

A filter base for receiving a mating filter housing assembly having a base platform having fluid ingress and egress stanchions, and a wire harness assembly including a connector housing integral with or connected to the base platform for establishing an electrical connection between the filter base and the mating filter housing assembly. The wire harness assembly having conductors extending between first and second connectors, with one or more resilient contacts provided on the second connector. The contacts are flexible from a first position to a second position when curved contact sections of the one or more contacts engage a mating connection surface of the complementary mating filter housing assembly. The mating connection surface may be a circuit pad of a printed circuit board, wherein the contact curved contact sections are configured to be positioned in mechanical and electrical engagement with the circuit pads when the filter housing assembly is received within the filter base.

A water purifying apparatus includes a head that is configured to couple to a filter and defines a water inlet and a water outlet, and a shaft provided inside the head, rotatably mounted between the water inlet and the water outlet, and having a filtering passage configured to connect the water inlet to the water outlet so that water introduced into the water inlet is discharged to the water outlet via the filter. The shaft includes a shaft inlet and a shaft outlet, which are opened to respectively communicate with the water inlet and the water outlet so as to define the filtering passage, and a water inlet blocking portion and a water outlet blocking portion, which are provided between the shaft inlet and the shaft outlet to shield opened surfaces of the water inlet and the water outlet.

A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet; a door operably connected to the cabinet, the door having a closed position relative to the cabinet and an opened position relative to the cabinet, and the door transitions from the closed position to the opened position in a non-circular path; a liquid outlet disposed at the cabinet; and a liquid receiver disposed at the door, the liquid receiver configured to receive liquid exiting the liquid outlet when the door is in the closed position but not in the opened position. The refrigerator can further include a gasket adjacent to the liquid receiver and a gasket adjacent to the liquid outlet. When the door is in the closed position, the gasket of the door can cooperate with the gasket of the cabinet to form a sealed channel to seal liquid transfer from the liquid outlet to the liquid receiver for use at the door.

Utility routing for door-mounted operations are disclosed. An appliance may include a cabinet and one or more doors connected to the cabinet. An apparatus may have a mounted position on the door. An operation apparatus may be enabled, supported, or otherwise made operable in part by closed-looped conveyance of one or more operating mediums. The apparatus has an unmounted position wherein the apparatus is separated from the door while maintaining the closed-loop conveyance of the one or more operating mediums.