Refrigeration – Means producing shaped or modified congealed product
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-26
2002-03-05
Tapolcal, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Means producing shaped or modified congealed product
C062S066000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06351966
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water supplying devices for refrigerators and more particularly pertains to a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker for supplying bottled water to the icemaker in a refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of water supplying devices for refrigerators is known in the prior art. More specifically, water supplying devices for refrigerators heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,987,746; 5,297,401; 5,558,256; 4,456,149; U.S. Pat. Des. No. 405,004; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,499.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker. The inventive device includes a container having water therein. The container has a bottom wall, a top wall and a peripheral wall coupled thereto and extending between the top and bottom walls. The housing has a lumen therein. The top wall has an opening therein for access to the lumen. A peripheral lip is coupled to and extends away from an edge of the opening. A cover member for selectively coupling to the peripheral lip and cover member the opening has a first hole and a second hole extending therethrough. A first tubular member for supplying water to the refrigerator is elongate and has a first end fluidly coupled to the first hole and a second end fluidly coupled to an inlet of the refrigerator. A second tubular member for supplying air to the container is elongate and has a first end and a second end. The second tubular member extends through the second hole and into the container. A stand holds the container in a generally upside down orientation.
In these respects, the device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supplying bottled water to the icemaker in a refrigerator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of water supplying devices for refrigerators now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker construction wherein the same can be utilized for supplying bottled water to the icemaker in a refrigerator.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the water supplying devices for refrigerators mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art water supplying devices for refrigerators, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a container having water therein. The container has a bottom wall, a top wall and a peripheral wall coupled thereto and extending between the top and bottom walls. The housing has a lumen therein. The top wall has an opening therein for access to the lumen. A peripheral lip is coupled to and extends away from an edge of the opening. A cover member for selectively coupling to the peripheral lip and cover member the opening has a first hole and a second hole extending therethrough. A first tubular member for supplying water to the refrigerator is elongate and has a first end fluidly coupled to the first hole and a second end fluidly coupled to an inlet of the refrigerator. A second tubular member for supplying air to the container is elongate and has a first end and a second end. The second tubular member extends through the second hole and into the container. A stand holds the container in a generally upside down orientation.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the water supplying devices for refrigerators mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art water supplying devices for refrigerators, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new device for supplying water to a refrigerator icemaker for supplying bottled water to the icemaker in a refrigerator.
Yet another object of the present
Ali Mohammad M.
Tapolcal William E.
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