초록 ▼

The door-mounted water and ice cube dispenser of a refrigerator is supplied with chilled water and electrical power by a water conveying conduit and a plurality of electrical conductors which together pass through a hollow pintle and socket portion of a lower hinge assembly pivotally supporting the

The door-mounted water and ice cube dispenser of a refrigerator is supplied with chilled water and electrical power by a water conveying conduit and a plurality of electrical conductors which together pass through a hollow pintle and socket portion of a lower hinge assembly pivotally supporting the refrigerator door. To facilitate removal of the door from the associated refrigerator cabinet, the lower end of the conduit is connected to an end of a chilled water supply line by a union type coupling, the lower ends of the conductors being connected to a plug engageable with an associated power supplying socket fixed to the refrigerator cabinet. The conduit and conductors extend upwardly from the lower hinge assembly to the dispenser location via the interior of an elongated, rigid, tubelike member that isolates the conduit and conductors from any thermal insulating material or other obstructions filling the interior volume of the door. The tubelike member, by permitting unimpeded movement of the conduit and conductors contained therein, precludes localized twisting and untwisting of the conduit and conductors at any specific point along their respective lengths to preclude fatigue breaks of the conduit or conductors resulting from repeated opening and closing of the door.

대표청구항 ▼

1. In a refrigerator having a lower hinge assembly for pivotally mounting a refrigerator door on an associated refrigerator cabinet, the door including a dispensing mechanism for water and/or ice cubes, the dispensing mechanism being located above the lower hinge assembly and being connected to an e

1. In a refrigerator having a lower hinge assembly for pivotally mounting a refrigerator door on an associated refrigerator cabinet, the door including a dispensing mechanism for water and/or ice cubes, the dispensing mechanism being located above the lower hinge assembly and being connected to an electrical control circuit of the refrigerator by a plurality of electrical conductors, the conductors extending downwardly from the dispenser and being connected to the electrical control circuit via the lower hinge assembly, means for precluding fatigue breakage of the conductors caused by localized twisting and untwisting thereof, at a point along their lengths, when the refrigerator door is repeatedly opened and closed, said fatigue breakage precluding means comprising: an elongated, generally rigid, tubelike member extending from the lower hinge assembly upwardly to the dispenser, the tubelike member being located in the interior of the door, the tubelike member containing therein said conductors to isolate them from other door structures, said conductors being free to move within said tubelike member so as to allow unimpeded twisting and untwisting of the conductors along their entire lengths within said tubelike member as said door is opened and closed. 2. A fatigue breakage precluding means according to claim 1, wherein said tubelike member is supported at its lower end in fixed relation to the door. 3. A fatigue breakage precluding means according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the tubelike member is greater than the combined diameters of the conductors to allow free movement of the conductors within the tubelike member. 4. A lower hinge assembly for pivotally mounting a refrigerator door on an associated refrigerator cabinet, the door including an electrically operated mechanism for dispensing water and/or ice cubes, the dispensing mechanism being located above the lower hinge assembly and being connected to a water supply and an electrical control circuit by a water conveying conduit and a plurality of electrical conductors, the conduit and conductors extending downwardly from the dispenser and being connected to the water supply and control circuit of the refrigerator via the lower hinge assembly, said assembly comprising: a bracket means affixed to the lower portion of the refrigerator cabinet; an upwardly extending hollow, annular pintle member fixed at its lower end to the bracket means; and a hollow, annular socket member fixed to the refrigerator door, said socket member rotatably receiving said fixed pintle member, said conduit and conductors passing through the interior volumes of both said annular pintle and socket member for connection to said water supply and control circuit, said conduit and conductors being fixed in position within said interior volume of said pintle member, said hinge assembly including a plug member press-fitted into the fixed pintle member, the plug member having a plurality of apertures through which said conduit and conductors extend, said plug member apertures having walls that tightly grip at least said conductors to fix the lower ends of said conductors in position relative to said refrigerator cabinet when said door is moved between opened and closed positions. 5. A hinge assembly according to claim 4, wherein said plug member is molded about said conductors to engage them and establish with each of them a hermetic seal interface. 6. A hinge assembly according to claim 4, wherein said plug member is press-fitted into the upper end of the pintle member, the plug member being formed of electrical insulating material, each of said conductors and said conduit passing only through their own one of said respective apertures in said pluglike member, said plug member maintaining said conduit and conductors in spaced-apart electrically isolated relationship relative to each other and relative to said pintle member. 7. A lower hinge assembly for pivotally mounting a refrigerator door on an associated refrigerator cabinet, the door including an electrically operated mechanism for dispensing water and/or ice cubes, the dispensing mechanism being located above the lower hinge assembly and being connected to a water supply and an electrical control circuit by a water conveying conduit and a plurality of electrical conductors, the conduit and conductors extending downwardly from the dispenser and being connected to the water supply and control circuit of the refrigerator via the lower hinge assembly, said assembly comprising: a bracket means affixed to the lower portion of the refrigerator cabinet; an upwardly extending hollow, annular pintle member fixed at its lower end to the bracket means; and a hollow, annular socket member fixed to the refrigerator door, said socket member rotatably receiving said fixed pintle member, said conduit and conductors passing through the interior volumes of both said annular pintle and socket member for connection to said water supply and control circuit, said conduit and conductors being fixed in position within said interior volume of said pintle member, said hinge assembly including a generally rigid, tubelike member longitudinally extending upwardly from said lower hinge assembly to said dispenser location, said conduit and conductors being contained within said tubelike member. 8. A hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein the lower end of said tubelike member is pres-fitted over and tightly engages an upper end of the socket member receiving the pintle member. 9. A hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein said conduit and conductors are freely movable within said tubelike member to minimize localized twisting of the conduit and conductors at any specific point along their lengths as the refrigerator door is opened and closed.