US2078097A - Water cooling means for refrigerators - Google Patents

Description

p 1 H. RADZINSKY I 2,078,097

WATER COOLING MEANS FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed Dec. 3, 1935 'JI'I'III VIII INVENTOR Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,078,097 WATER COOLING MEANS FOR REFRIGER- ATORS Harry Radzinsky, New York, N. Y. Application December 3, 1935, Serial No. 52,633 8 Claims. (01. 62 89) This invention relates to refrigerators and more particularly to a convenient means for supporting a drinking water tank or source of water supply within the refrigerator without usurping space normally accorded to the usual refrigerator contents, and to providing means whereby water may be drawn from the source of supply without requiring the opening of the refrigerator door or disturbing the contents of the refrigerator.

Heretofore drinking water was usually cooled in refrigerators by use of a tank, bottle, or other receptacle'supported on the shelves of the refrlgerator or at various other positions therein. Such tanks or other like receptacles usually occupy space on the shelves which might be used to advantage for holding foods. In carrying out my invention, therefore, I propose using a recessed back on the refrigerator door for supporting a water supply tank, and providing a small opening or slot in the door through which a movable faucet connected to the source of water supply may be projected to present its delivery end outside of the door, enabling water to be drawn from the faucet without requiring the opening of the refrigerator door.

Another novel feature ofthe invention is the provision of means whereby the advance and return movement of the movable faucet is controlled by a cover member movably mounted over the opening in the door of the refrigerator in such a manner that when said cover member is moved to open position it will present the delivery end of the faucet outside of the door and when it is moved to closed position,- the faucet will be automatically moved to its normal position within the refrigerator and in the recess at the back of the door thereof.

These and other novel features of the invention are described in the following specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view through the upper portion of the refrigerator door showin the water tank, movable faucet attachedthereto, and operating parts; Fig.3 is a horizontal, sectional view taken directly below the water tank ,ingof conventional construction, provided with a door 6 hinged at 'l in the well-known manner, and having the conventional lock and operating handle 8 and 9 respectively. The back of the door 6 is hollowed out or recessed at In and supported in said recess is a water tank I I, which is preferably made in relatively flat shape so that when it is in position in the recess ID on the back of the door, it does not project beyond the recess and encroach upon space within the refrigerator body. The tank is supported upon a shelf l2 and is held in position thereon by means of one or more spring clips l3. The manner in which the tank is supported permits it to be easily removed for cleaning or scouring whenever desired. The tank is provided with a filler opening normally closed by the cap ll, and at its lower end with a delivery pipe I5 connected to a swinging faucet I6 by means of the gland nut l! with packing l8 located in the joint.

The door 6 is provided with a horizontally extending slot-like window opening l9 leading to the outside of the refrigerator and so located with respect to the swinging faucet I6 that the faucet may be moved through it to have its delivery end v.20 disposed on the outside of the door 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The faucet is provided with a valve 2| or other similar'shut-ofi device to control the flow of water from the tank.

At 22 is shown a. closure member or small pivoted door for closing or covering the opening I9, said closure member being pivoted at 23 and provided with a handle 24 which can, if desired, form part of a catch or look for securely holding the closure member in its closed position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The faucet. I6 is connected to the closure member 22 by means of a link 25 having one of its ends pivoted at 26 within a recess 21 in the closure member and has its other end slotted at 28 to engage a stud 29 located on top of the faucet.

The operation of the device is as follows:

In normal position the small door or closure member 22 is closed as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Inthis position, the faucet I6 is retracted, substantially as shown in Fig. 3, and is located within therecess Ill in the door. To move the faucet IE to operative position, with its delivery end disposed on the outside of the door 6, it is merely necessary to swing the closure member 22 to open position as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This swinging movement of closure member 22 causes link 25 to swing the faucet Iii out through the slot [9 to the position shown in". Fig. 4 whereit will be seen that the delivery end 20 and valve 2i of the faucet are located on the outside of the door 6 and are thus accessible so that the valve 2| can be manually operated to permit the flow of water through the delivery end of the faucet. When the closure member 22 is swung to closed position, this causes link 25 to push the faucet back to the position shown in Fig. 3 and within the recess l0 within the door 6. The slot 28, or lost motion connection between link 25 and stud 29, enables the door to be swung outward to a greater angle than the faucet so that the door is spaced away from the delivery end of the faucet and it is thus accessible to enable a drinking glass or other receptacle to be held beneath it and filled by the water delivered from the faucet. The tank and its attached faucet can be quickly removed from the back of the door 6 as a unit by removing stud 29,'thus disconnecting the faucet from the link 25 and permitting the faucet and tank to be removed and cleaned or otherwise treated when desired, and quickly replaced with a minimum of effort and without the use of tools.

In describing the operation of the movable faucet. and cover member for the slot or opening in the door, I have shown and described both of these elements as pivoted so that when the cover member is swung open it will swing the faucet to a projected position, extending through the slot with its delivery end located outside of the door. It will be obvious that the co-operative movement of these two elements may be modified in many particulars. For example, the cover member can be slidably mounted so that when it is slid to an open position, the faucet will be swung or even slid to an advanced or projected position and vice versa. The faucet can also be controlled by a spring, so that when the, cover member is opened, by a swinging, sliding, or other movement, the spring will project the faucet through the opening and likewise when the cover member is closed, the faucet will be forced back within the refrigerator by the cover and against the tension of the spring.

While the opening in the door of the refrigerator is shown as being a horizontally extending slot, it will be understood also that this slot may be arranged vertically and the cover member hinged, slidably mounted, or otherwise movably supported in such a way that when it is opened, the faucet will be projected through the slot. It is also possible to omit the operating connection between the cover member and faucet, thus permitting the faucet to be manually operated and swung forward through the opening after the cover member has been moved to openposition and manually pushed back into retracted position to permit the cover to be closed.

In setting forth the location of the source of water supply, namely the tank H, I have stated that it is. located on the back of the door, and

specifically in the recess formed therein. It will be understood, however, that the tank H may bev elsewhere conveniently located in the refrigerator, as for example, in any one of the other walls thereof. The use of a tank as a source of water supply might also be dispensed with, and a cooling coil, connected to an outside water supply, might be used. I therefore do not limit my invention to the specific location or form of the tank, or other source of water supply, nor to the formation of the faucet window IS in the door of the refrigerator since such window, and faucet mounted for movement therethrough, may be conveniently formed and located in and adjacent to any selected wall of the refrigerator casing.

These and other modifications may be made in the device without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A device of the character described comprlsing, a refrigerator having a door, a source of drinking water supply located within the refrigerator, a pivoted faucet carried by the door and normally maintained within the confines of the same connected to said source of water supply, the door having an opening leading outside of the refrigerator, means for swinging the faucet to cause its delivery end to be positioned either inside or outside of the opening, and a pivoted door normally closing the opening and controlling the swinging of the faucet by its movement.

2. A device of the character described comprising, a refrigerator door provided with a slot, a hinged cover movable to open or close said slot, a water tank carried on the back of the door, a hinged faucet connected to the tank and carried by the door, and a. connection between the cover and faucet whereby the faucet is swung forwardly through the slot to cause its delivery end to be positioned outside of the door when the cover is moved to open position and whereby the faucet is moved backwardly through the slot to a retracted position at the back of the door when the cover is moved to closed position.

3. A device of the character described comprising, a refrigerator door provided with an opening, a cover movable to and from the opening to cover or uncover the same, a water tank carried by the door, a pivoted faucet connected to the tank, a link connecting the cover and faucet whereby the faucet is swung forwardly through the opening to cause its delivery end to be positioned outside of the door when the door is moved to open position and whereby the faucet is moved backwardly through the slot to a retracted position at the back of the door when the cover is moved to open position, said link having a lost motion connection whereby the swing of the door to open position is greater than the swing of the faucet to projected position.

4. A device of the character described comprising a refrigerator door having a recessed back portion, means for removably supporting a drinking water tank in the recessed back of said door,

a movable faucet connected to said tank, an opening in the door through which the faucet is adapted to be swung to present its delivery end outside of the door without requiring the opening of the door, means for swinging said faucet back and forth through the opening, said means being detachably connected to the faucet whereby the tank and faucet can be detached from said means andfrom the tank supports to permit the unitary removal of the tank and faucet from the back of the door.

5. A device of the character described comprlsing, a recessed refrigerator door having a water tank including, a horizontally swinging faucet connected to said tank mounted in the recess, a horizontally extending slot in the door leading to the outside of the door, means for swinging the faucet back and forth through the slot to present the delivery end of the faucet on the outside of the door when the faucet is projected through the slot, and inside of the door and within the confines of the recess on return movement of the faucet, and closure means for the slot for controlling the'swinging movements of the faucet.

6. A device of the character described comprising, a recessed refrigerator door having a water tank including a movable faucet mounted for swinging movement in the recess, an opening in the door leading to the outside of the door, means for moving the faucet back and forth through the opening to present the delivery end of the faucet -on the outside of the door when the faucet is face of the door, a discharge faucet movably,

mounted at the lower end of the tank, said door having an opening extending completely therethrough and through which the faucet is adapted to be projected and retracted while the door remains in a closed position and a closure for the opening in the door, said closure having movement relative to the faucet operatively engaged with the faucet for imparting projecting and retracting movements to the faucet.

8. A device of the character described comprising, a refrigerator door having a water tank including a movable faucet mounted at its back, a window opening in the door leading to the outside of the refrigerator, and means providing a closure for the window opening and for moving the faucet back and forth through said opening while the door remains in closed position, said closure means having movement relative to the faucet.

HARRY RADZINSKY.

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