Domestic Refrigeration Appliance Having A Water Dispenser Unit That Includes A Receiving Unit For Inserting A Flavor Container

Abstract

A domestic refrigeration appliance includes a water dispenser unit having a serving unit for discharging a cold beverage. The serving unit includes a receiving unit into which at least one container containing a flavoring can be inserted. In the inserted state of the container, the container is coupled to a dispensing container of the water dispenser unit containing a liquid in such a way that the cold beverage can be discharged as a mixture of the liquid and the flavoring when the serving unit is actuated.

Claims

13. A domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising: a water dispenser unit including a dispensing container for dispensing a liquid and a serving unit for serving a cold beverage, said serving unit having a receiving unit; and at least one container containing a flavoring, said at least one container being insertable into said receiving unit in an inserted condition; said container, in said inserted condition, being coupled to said dispensing container causing the cold beverage to be served as a mixture of the liquid and the flavoring upon actuating said serving unit.

14. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein said receiving unit is a drawer having a hollow forming a receiving region for said container.

15. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein said container is a closed capsule.

16. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein said serving unit has a recess for introducing a vessel and a serving point opening into said recess for feeding the cold beverage into the vessel.

17. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein the flavoring is a powder or a liquid disposed in said container.

18. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein the flavoring is a concentrate.

19. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, which further comprises a control unit for producing the cold beverage by controlling a required quantity of the liquid to be fed from said serving container in dependence on at least one of a type of the flavoring or a quantity of the flavoring or a type of said container or a size of said container.

20. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 19, wherein said container has information regarding at least one of the type of the flavoring or the quantity of the flavoring or the type of said container or the size of said container, and said information is readable when said container is inserted into said receiving unit.

21. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 19, which further comprises a display device displaying at least one of a quantity of cold beverages or a number of cold beverages having already been produced with said container or a quantity of cold beverages or a number of cold beverages that are still possible to be produced with said container.

22. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein said water dispenser unit has an operating and display device, and said receiving unit is disposed adjacent or directly below said operating and display device.

23. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein said water dispenser unit has a filling position for a vessel, and a control unit is configured to feed a defined quantity of the liquid from said dispensing container for cleaning said serving unit once the cold beverage has been fed into the vessel and the vessel has been removed from said filling position.

24. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 13, wherein said serving unit is configured to receive a gas cartridge for adding gas or carbon dioxide to the cold beverage.

Description

[0029] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a perspective illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a domestic refrigeration appliance according to the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of a partial region of the domestic refrigeration appliance from FIG. 1, in the region of the water dispenser unit;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a simplified vertical illustration in the region of the water dispenser unit, with the receiving unit opened for a container with a flavoring; and

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the opened receiving unit that is shown in FIG. 3, with a container with flavoring that has not yet been inserted.

[0034] In the figures, like or functionally equivalent elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective illustration, a domestic refrigeration appliance 1, which may be a refrigerator or a combined refrigerator-freezer or a freezer. The domestic refrigeration appliance 1 includes a housing 2, which delimits a receiving compartment 10 in which foodstuffs such as food and beverages may be received and also cooled. The housing 2 includes a base body 3 and, in the exemplary embodiment, doors 4 and 5 that are arranged to pivot thereon. The doors 4 and 5 are arranged for closing the receiving compartment 10, it being possible for the receiving compartment 10 also to be divided into two, for example, such that a first part is closed by the door 4 and, separately and separated from this first partial region of the receiving compartment 10, a second partial region is formed that may then be closed by the door 5.

[0036] Moreover, the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 includes a water dispenser unit 6 that is constructed at least for serving cooled liquid in the form of a cold beverage. The water dispenser unit 6 may additionally be constructed also for serving ice cubes.

[0037] The water dispenser unit 6 is arranged in the housing 2, wherein it may be arranged with at least a partial component in the receiving compartment 10 and/or with partial components at least in a wall of the base body 3 or a door 4, or may be arranged entirely in a wall or door of this kind and thus may be arranged separated from the receiving compartment 10,

[0038] It may also be provided for the water dispenser unit 6 to be arranged entirely within the receiving compartment 10 and not to be accessible from outside when the door 5 is closed and the door 4 is closed.

[0039] However, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is preferred, in which, even when the door 4 is closed, the water dispenser unit 6 with at least partial components integrated therein is accessible.

[0040] The water dispenser unit 6 includes an operating and display device 7 that is accessible and viewable by way of a front side of the door 4. For the purpose of serving the cold beverage, the user of the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 can then introduce a receiving vessel, such as a drinking glass, into a recess 8 in the door 4, the recess 8 being a constituent part of the water dispenser unit 6. The water dispenser unit 6 moreover includes a serving device, or a serving unit 9 that is constructed for the purpose of serving the cold beverage.

[0041] in the enlarged illustration in FIG. 2, the serving unit 9 includes, also illustrated, a receiving unit 11 in which at least one container 12 having a flavoring (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) can be received, in particular inserted.

[0042] The container 12 is coupled to a dispensing container 13 (FIG. 3) having a liquid, in particular water, in such a way that when the serving unit is actuated the desired cold beverage can be served as a mixture of the liquid in the dispensing container 13 and the flavoring from the container 12.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment shown, according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it is provided for the receiving unit 11 to have a drawer 14 (FIG. 2) that is arranged, in the immediate proximity, below operating elements of the operating and display device 7.

[0044] In FIG. 2, a situation is illustrated in which a vessel 15, for example a drinking glass, is positioned in the recess 8 such that it is arranged for receiving cold beverage that may be fed out of the serving unit 9, in particular a serving point 16.

[0045] It may be provided for the coupling between the dispensing container 13 and the receiving unit 14, and thus also to the container 12, to be such that when the serving unit 9 is actuated and thus, in accordance with a request, in order to obtain a mixed cold beverage, the liquid from the dispensing container 13 passes into the outlet opening or serving point 16 (FIG. 3) to the container 12 and flows through the latter in order to dissolve the flavoring therein, which may be contained therein for example in powder form or as a liquid, or to take up the flavoring agents thereof, and then the cold beverage flows out in the mixed form by way of an outlet opening 19, which is constructed in particular in a base 17 of a hollow 18, and into the vessel 15.

[0046] This is particularly advantageous if the shell of the container 12 is liquid-permeable and for example takes the form of a pod.

[0047] However, it may also be provided for the receiving unit 11 to have an opening element by means of which, when the container 12 is inserted into the hollow 18, the shell of the container 12 is automatically at least pierced, such that the liquid 21 (FIG. 3) in the dispensing container 13 can then also pass into the interior of the container 12 in order to receive the flavoring. In this context, a spike or an edge may for example be an appropriate opening device.

[0048] Preferably, the domestic refrigeration appliance 1 also has a control unit 22 (FIG. 2) by means of which the serving of liquid 21 from the dispensing container 13 may be controlled. In particular, it is provided, for the purpose of producing the cold beverage, for a required quantity of the liquid 21 that is to be fed in from the dispensing container 13 to be controlled by the control unit 22, in dependence on the type of flavoring in the container 12 and/or in dependence on the quantity of flavoring in the container 12 and/or in dependence on the type of container 12 and/or in dependence on the size of the container 12.

[0049] Preferably, it may also be provided for the container 12 to have, for example on an outer side 12a (FIG. 3), readable information on the type of flavoring and/or on the quantity of flavoring and/or on the type and/or the size of the container 12. This information may be detected by a detection unit, for example a sensor or the like, and be transmitted to the control unit 22 such that, in dependence on these items of information, the control of the serving of liquid from the dispensing container 13 is then in turn performed.

[0050] Preferably, it is provided for the operating and display device 7 to be constructed such that a quantity and/or number of cold beverages that have already been produced by the container 12, and/or the quantity that is still possible in future and/or the number of cold beverages possible is displayed on the display device 23 (FIG. 2).

[0051] Moreover, it is provided for the control unit 22 to be constructed such that once the cold beverage has been fed out into the vessel 15, and in particular also once the vessel 15 has been removed from the recess 8, a defined quantity, in particular of liquid 21 from the dispensing container 13 is fed out for cleaning the receiving unit 11 and/or the serving unit 9, in particular if this liquid 21 is water. This cleaning flush is particularly advantageous if the receiving unit 11 has at least two hollows into which separate containers 12 having different flavorings can be introduced.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a perspective illustration of the pulled-out drawer 14, wherein the container 12 is shown in the still removed condition and is inserted into the hollow 18 only afterwards.

[0053] The serving unit 9 may also have a gas cartridge or a gas container by means of which gas, for example carbon dioxide, may also be added to the cold beverage that is to be produced, with the result that a fizzy cold beverage is produced.

[0054] In the embodiment shown, the recess 8 is accessible even when the door 4 is closed, with the result that the door 4 need not be opened to produce and serve a cold beverage. However, it may also be provided for the water dispenser unit 6 to be arranged entirely in the receiving compartment 10 and not to be accessible when the door 4 and/or 5 is closed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0055] 1 Domestic refrigeration appliance

[0056] 2 Housing

[0057] 3 Base body

[0058] 4 Door

[0059] 5 Door

[0060] 6 Water dispenser unit

[0061] 7 Display device

[0062] 8 Recess

[0063] 9 Serving unit

[0064] 10 Receiving compartment

[0065] 11 Receiving unit

[0066] 12 Container

[0067] 12a Outer side

[0068] 13 Dispensing container

[0069] 14 Drawer

[0070] 15 Vessel

[0071] 16 Serving point

[0072] 17 Base

[0073] 18 Hollow

[0074] 19 Outlet opening

[0075] 20 Serving point

[0076] 21 Liquid

[0077] 22 Control unit

[0078] 23 Display device cm 1-12. (canceled)