Water supply device for a refrigerator door

• US 5,603,230 A
• Filed: 04/18/1996
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Te-Wan Tsai
• Original Assignee: Te-Wan Tsai
• Inventors: Tsai, Te-wan
• Primary Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US08/634,236
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 62/389, 62/390, 62/391, 62/396, 62/440, 62/441, 62/331, 222/146.1
• US Class Current: 62/390
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0009 provided with cooling arrangements cooling perse F25
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/126 Water cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/122 the refrigerator is characterised by a water tank for the water/ice dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/04 Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion

Abstract

A water supply device disposed in a refrigerator door includes a first tank, a second tank and a third tank respectively disposed in the door, each of the three tanks having a pipe extending therefrom and each pipe having an outlet extending from an outer layer of the door, a first connecting pipe with a first one-way valve disposed thereto being connected between the first and the second tank, a second connecting pipe with a second one-way valve disposed thereto being connected between the second and the third tank, the first tank having a heating device disposed therein and only the first and the second tank being separated from an interior of the refrigerator by an insulating layer.

Claims

1. A water supply device disposed in a refrigerator door, said refrigerator comprising a body and a door, said body comprising a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment, said door having an outer layer and an inner insulating layer which is disposed corresponding to said freezer compartment, said device comprising:

a first tank disposed in said door and located between said outer layer and said inner insulating layer and having a first open top communicating with a top of said door for a cap mounted thereon and covering up said first open top, a first pipe having one end thereof extending from said first tank, said first pipe communicates with an interior of said first tank and the other end of said first pipe having a first outlet disposed thereto, said first outlet extending from said outer layer of said door, a heating means disposed in said first tank;

a second tank disposed in said door and located between said outer layer and said inner insulating layer, a first connecting pipe connected between said first tank and said second tank, a first one-way valve disposed in said first connecting pipe, a second pipe having one end thereof communicating with an interior of said second tank and the other end of said second pipe having a second outlet disposed thereto, said second outlet extending from said outer layer of said door;

a third tank disposed in said door wherein an inner side of said third tank is not covered by said inner insulating layer, a second connecting pipe connected between said second tank and said third tank, a second one-way valve disposed in said second connecting pipe, a third pipe having one end thereof communicating with an interior of said third tank and the other end of said third pipe having a third outlet disposed thereto, said third outlet extending from said outer layer of said door.