Refrigerator appliance with powered pitcher
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorRonald Gary Foster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pitcher for a refrigerator appliance is provided. The refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber. The pitcher includes at least one pitcher wall and an internal volume defined within the at least one pitcher wall. The pitcher is configured to be received in a cavity defined in the fresh food chamber. The pitcher also includes a detachable electrical connector configured to connect between the pitcher and the cavity.
Claims15
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber;
- a pitcher comprising at least one pitcher wall and an internal volume defined within the at least one pitcher wall;
- a cavity in the fresh food chamber, the cavity defined by at least one cavity wall, the cavity configured to receive the pitcher;
- and
- a detachable electrical connection between the pitcher and the cavity, the detachable electrical connection comprising a pogo pin connection, the pogo pin connection comprising a pogo pin extending from the pitcher wall and a contact pad on the cavity wall, wherein the pogo pin connection further comprises a first terminal block positioned in or on the pitcher and a second terminal block positioned within the cavity wall, wherein the contact pad of the pogo pin connection is positioned on an outer surface of the second terminal block, wherein the outer surface of the second terminal block is generally flush with an inner surface of the cavity wall.
A pitcher for a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber, the pitcher comprising:
- at least one pitcher wall and an internal volume defined within the at least one pitcher wall, the pitcher configured to be received in a cavity defined in the fresh food chamber;
- and
- a detachable electrical connector configured to connect between the pitcher and the cavity, the detachable electrical connector comprising a pogo pin connector, the pogo pin connector comprising a contact pad on the pitcher wall, the contact pad configured to engage with a pogo pin, wherein the detachable electrical connector further comprises a terminal block, wherein the contact pad is positioned on an outer surface of the terminal block, wherein the outer surface of the terminal block is generally flush with an outer surface of the pitcher wall.
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber;
- a pitcher comprising at least one pitcher wall and an internal volume defined within the at least one pitcher wall;
- a cavity in the fresh food chamber, the cavity defined by at least one cavity wall, the cavity configured to receive the pitcher;
- and
- a detachable electrical connection between the pitcher and the cavity, the detachable electrical connection comprising a pogo pin connection, the pogo pin connection comprising a contact pad pin on the pitcher wall and a pogo pin extending from the cavity wall, wherein the pogo pin connection further comprises a first terminal block positioned in or on the pitcher and a second terminal block positioned within the cavity wall, wherein the contact pad of the pogo pin connection is positioned on an outer surface of the first terminal block, wherein the outer surface of the first terminal block is generally flush with an outer surface of the pitcher wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.