Refrigeration appliance comprising a delivery door

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance includes a refrigerated inner space and a refrigeration appliance door for closing the refrigerated inner space. The refrigeration appliance door includes a dispenser area with a drink dispenser device on an exterior of the refrigeration appliance door. The refrigeration appliance door has a dispenser door and the dispenser door is constructed to close the dispenser area.

Claims

1. A refrigeration appliance, comprising: a refrigerated inner space; a refrigeration appliance door for closing said refrigerated inner space, said refrigeration appliance door having an exterior and a dispenser area on said exterior, said refrigeration appliance door having a refrigerated goods compartment disposed on said exterior of said refrigeration appliance door for accommodating goods to be refrigerated; said dispenser area having a drink dispenser device; and said refrigeration appliance door having a dispenser door for closing said dispenser area and said refrigerated goods compartment, said dispenser door covering an entire area of said appliance door.

2. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said dispenser door has an at least partially translucent section permitting viewing of said dispenser area when said dispenser door is closed.

3. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 2, wherein said at least partially translucent section is formed of a translucent material.

4. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 3, wherein said translucent material is at least partially translucent glass or at least partially translucent plastic.

5. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said dispenser area is open to said refrigerated inner space.

6. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said drink dispenser device is constructed to dispense liquid or ice.

7. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said drink dispenser device is constructed to dispense water or water ice.

8. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said refrigerated goods compartment is disposed above said dispenser area on said exterior of said refrigeration appliance door.

9. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 8, wherein said refrigeration appliance door has a hatch disposed between said refrigerated goods compartment and said refrigerated inner space.

10. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 9, wherein: said refrigeration appliance door has an inner surface; a temporary storage for depositing goods to be refrigerated is disposed on said inner surface of said refrigeration appliance door; and said temporary storage is accessible from outside the refrigeration appliance through said hatch when said refrigeration appliance door is closed and said dispenser door is open.

11. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said dispenser door includes a thermally insulating material.

12. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, wherein said drink dispenser device has at least one dispensing element for dispensing a drink.

13. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 12, wherein said drink dispenser device includes a retaining element for accommodating a drink receptacle.

14. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 12, wherein said dispensing element includes an activation element for initiating dispensing of a drink, and said dispensing element is configured to dispense a drink upon actuation of said activation element.

15. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, which further comprises a storage container for accommodating a drink, a liquid or ice, said storage container being connected to said drink dispenser device by a dispensing line.

16. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, which further comprises a feed line for feeding a drink from outside the refrigeration appliance to said drink dispenser device.

17. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 2, wherein said refrigeration appliance door includes a lighting unit for illuminating said dispenser area, said lighting unit being integrated into said at least partially translucent section of said dispenser door or at least partially surrounding said at least partially translucent section.

18. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 17, wherein said lighting unit includes an LED-layer or an OLED-layer.

19. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1, which further comprises an interior lighting unit for illuminating said refrigerated inner space, said dispenser area having at least one further translucent section disposed towards said refrigerated inner space for illuminating said dispenser area by using said interior lighting unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) Further exemplary embodiments are explained with reference to the attached drawings. Wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance with a dispenser door on the refrigeration appliance door; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a dispenser area with a drink dispenser device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a refrigerator which here represents a generic refrigeration appliance 100 with a refrigeration appliance door 101, by means of which the refrigerated inner space 103 of the general refrigeration appliance 100 can be closed. In FIG. 1 only an inner surface of the refrigeration appliance door 101 is represented, wherein an exterior of the refrigeration appliance door 101 in FIG. 1 is not visible. The refrigerated inner space 103 is delimited by a refrigeration appliance frame 105.

(6) The refrigeration appliance 100 comprises one or more refrigerant circuits with in each case an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and a throttling device. The evaporator is a heat exchanger, in which after the expansion, the liquid refrigerant is evaporated by means of heat absorption from the medium to be cooled, for example air. The compressor is a mechanically driven component which sucks refrigerant vapor from the evaporator and ejects it to the condenser at higher pressure. The condenser is a heat exchanger, in which after the compression the evaporated refrigerant is condensed by means of the emission of heat to an external cooling medium, for example air. The throttling device is an apparatus for the constant reduction of the pressure by means of cross sectional narrowing. The refrigerant is a fluid which is used for heat transfer in the refrigerant circuit, which in the case of low temperatures and low pressure of the fluid absorbs heat, and in the case of a higher temperature and higher pressure of the fluid gives off heat, wherein changes in the state of the fluid are customarily involved.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance with a dispenser door on the refrigeration appliance door. The refrigeration appliance 100 comprises refrigeration appliance doors 101, by means of which the refrigerated inner space 103 of the refrigeration appliance 100 is closed. The refrigeration appliance 100 represented in FIG. 2 has a refrigeration appliance door 101 with a dispenser door 107 on an exterior 106 of the refrigeration appliance door 101. The dispenser door 107 can comprise a thermally insulating material, in order to prevent an exchange of heat between the refrigerated inner space 103 and the external area of the refrigeration appliance 100.

(8) The user of the refrigeration appliance 100 can open the dispenser door 107 independently of the refrigeration appliance door 101, in order to gain access to a dispenser area 109, which is arranged on the exterior 106 of the refrigeration appliance door 101. A drink dispenser device 111 is arranged in the dispenser area 109, wherein the drink dispenser device 111 is embodied to dispense drinks, in particular liquid or ice. The user of the refrigeration appliance 100 can position a drinks receptacle in the dispenser area 109 on the drink dispenser device 111. Upon actuation of the drink dispenser device 111 by the user, a drink, in particular liquid or ice, is dispensed through the drink dispenser device 111 into the drinks receptacle and the user can then remove the drinks receptacle with the drink, for example liquid or ice, from the dispenser area 109.

(9) On the exterior 106 of the refrigeration appliance door 101 the refrigeration appliance door 101 further has a refrigerated goods compartment 113, which is arranged above the dispenser area 109. Goods to be refrigerated 115 can be placed in the refrigerated goods compartment 113. In FIG. 2, the refrigerated goods compartment 113 is represented as a home bar, in which drinks receptacles are represented as goods to be refrigerated 115. The refrigerated goods compartment 113 is closed by means of the dispenser door 107. A temporary storage element 108 for the depositing of goods to be refrigerated 115, which is not represented in FIG. 2, can be arranged on an inner surface of the refrigeration appliance door 101 in the refrigerated goods compartment 113, wherein the temporary storage element 108 is accessible from outside the refrigeration appliance 100 through a hatch 104 between the refrigerated goods compartment 113 and the refrigerated inner space 103, with a closed refrigeration appliance door 101 and an open dispenser door 107. An exchange of heat between the refrigerated goods compartment 113 and the refrigerated inner space 103 takes place through the hatch between the refrigerated goods compartment 113 and the refrigerated inner space 103. A cooling of the goods to be refrigerated 115 in the refrigerated goods compartment 113 comes about through the heat exchange.

(10) By means of the refrigerated goods compartment 113 the user has available an area for the storage of goods to be refrigerated 115 and by means of the dispenser area 109 with the drink dispenser device 111 the user is enabled to remove drinks simply and advantageously from the refrigeration appliance 100. By opening the dispenser door 107, both the dispenser area 109 and the refrigerated goods compartment 113 are simply and advantageously accessible, without the user having to open the refrigeration appliance door 101, by means of which a rise in temperature in the refrigerated inner space 103 can be prevented.

(11) The dispenser door 107 has an at least partially translucent section 117. In the case of an almost completely translucent section 117, the user of the refrigeration appliance 100 can see into the dispenser area 109 through the translucent section 117 of the dispenser door 107 and for example determine the status of the drink dispenser device 111. The user can thereby for example track the dispensing of drink by the drink dispenser device 111 in the case of a closed dispenser door 107. The at least partially light-transparent section 117 can alternatively be only partially light-transparent, and for example embodied as a matte light-transparent section 117, which does not guarantee complete visual transparency. The user can thereby only discern the drink dispenser device 111 in a blurred manner.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a dispenser area with a drink dispenser device. In FIG. 3, the dispenser door 107 is opened so that the dispenser area 109 is visible on the exterior 106 of the refrigeration appliance door 101. A drink dispenser device 111 to dispense a drink, in particular liquid or ice, is arranged in the dispenser area 109, wherein the drink dispenser device 111 comprises three dispenser elements 119. The three dispenser elements 119 can be embodied to dispense different types of drinks, in particular liquids and/or ice. In addition, one or more retaining elements 110 to retain a drinks receptacle can be arranged in the dispenser area 109 underneath the drink dispenser device 111. As seen in FIG. 2, the drink dispenser device 111 receives liquid from a storage container 112 through a dispensing line 114 or through a feed line 116 from the outside.

(13) The dispenser elements 119 can have activation elements 121, wherein the respective dispensing element 119 is embodied to dispense a drink, such as for example liquid or ice, upon actuation of the respective element 121. The activation element 121 can for example comprise a push-button.

(14) By means of the inventive dispenser door 107, it is achievable that the dispenser area 109 can be closed, so that the dispenser area 109 and the drink dispenser device 111 arranged therein are not permanently accessible. In that the drink dispenser device 111 is only accessible when the user of the refrigeration appliance 100 opens the dispenser door 107, the use of a dispenser door 107 results in reduced complexity of the exterior design and thus in visual neatness of the refrigeration appliance 100.

(15) An important advantage of the use of a dispenser door 107 is that the depositing of dirt particles in the dispenser area 109 and on the drink dispenser device 111 is avoided, by means of which an impairment of the drink dispenser device 111 can be prevented. In addition a direct access to the drink dispenser device 111 and if applicable to goods to be refrigerated 115 in the refrigerated goods compartment 113 is possible thanks to the dispenser door 107, without the user having to open the refrigeration appliance door 101, by means of which a steep rise of temperature in the refrigerated inner space 103 is avoided.

(16) In the case of almost complete light transparency, the at least partially light-transparent section 117 of the dispenser door 107 enables an advantageous view of the drink dispenser device 111 on the part of the user and advantageous and effective illumination of the drink dispenser device 111 by the light from the external area of the refrigeration appliance 100 or by means of light from a lighting unit 118 on the refrigeration appliance door 101 at the translucent section 117 or from an interior lighting unit 120 arranged in the refrigerated inner space 103 and shining through a further translucent section 127 of the dispenser area 109. In addition, the dispenser door 107 enables advantageous heat insulation of the refrigeration appliance 100, in particular of the refrigeration appliance door 101, if the dispenser door 107 comprises a thermally insulating material.

(17) All features explained and shown in connection with individual embodiments of the invention can be provided in a different combination in the inventive object, in order simultaneously to realize their advantageous effects.

(18) The protective scope of the present invention is provided by the claims and is not limited by the features explained in the description or shown in the figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(19) 100 Refrigeration appliance 101 Refrigeration appliance door 103 Refrigerated inner space 105 Refrigeration appliance frame 106 Exterior of refrigeration appliance door 107 Dispenser door 109 Dispenser area 111 Drink dispenser device 113 Refrigerated goods compartment 115 Goods to be refrigerated 117 Light-transparent section 119 Dispensing element 121 Activation element