Shelf water tank

Abstract

A vacuum insulated appliance includes a cabinet defining a refrigeration compartment. The cabinet defines a compartment passthrough. A shelf is operably coupled to the compartment. The shelf includes a tank having an upper wall, a back wall, a front wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls to define a hollow interior for housing liquids, a spout coupled to the tank to dispense the liquid from the tank, and a tank inlet tube coupled to the tank and in fluid communication with the hollow interior. The vacuum insulation appliance further includes a compartment inlet tube. A coupling assembly is configured to selectively couple the tank inlet tube to the compartment inlet tube. The compartment inlet tube is routed through the compartment passthrough, into the refrigeration compartment, and to the coupling assembly to add the liquid to the hollow interior of the tank.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vacuum insulated appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a refrigeration compartment, wherein the cabinet defines a compartment passthrough;   a shelf disposed within the compartment, wherein the shelf includes:
 a tank having an upper wall, a back wall, a front wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls to define a hollow interior for housing liquids; 
 a spout coupled to the tank to dispense the liquid from the tank; and 
 a tank inlet tube coupled to the tank and in fluid communication with the hollow interior; and 
   a compartment inlet tube, wherein a coupling assembly is configured to selectively couple the tank inlet tube to the compartment inlet tube, and wherein the compartment inlet tube is routed through the compartment passthrough, into the refrigeration compartment, and to the coupling assembly to add the liquid to the hollow interior of the tank.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum insulated appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a liner of the cabinet defines a first slot and a second slot configured to allow the shelf to move between a mounted position within the refrigeration compartment and an unmounted position to be removed from the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling assembly includes a plug portion coupled to the compartment inlet tube, a socket portion coupled to the tank inlet tube, and a locking portion coupled to the socket portion, and wherein the locking portion is operable between a locked position coupling the compartment inlet tube to the tank inlet tube and an unlocked position. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum insulated appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the shelf further includes:
 a liquid level sensor disposed within the hollow interior of the tank; and   an inlet valve having an actuator configured to selectively move the inlet valve between an opened position allowing the liquid to flow from the tank inlet tube into the tank and a closed position preventing the liquid from flowing from the tank inlet tube into the tank.   
     
     
         5 . The vacuum insulated appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the shelf further includes:
 a valve coupled to the spout, wherein the valve is operable between an opened position allowing the liquid to flow through the spout and a closed position retaining the liquid within the tank; and   an actuation device configured to move the valve between the opened position and the closed position.   
     
     
         6 . The vacuum insulated appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the actuation device is a motor operably coupled to the valve and a push button, and wherein the actuation of the push button is configured to activate the motor to move the valve to the opened position. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum insulated appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the actuation device is a mechanical linkage between a push button and the valve, and wherein the mechanical linkage includes a rod coupled to the push button and the valve and a resilient member biasing the valve toward the closed position, and wherein actuation of the push button adjusts the mechanical linkage against a biasing force of the resilient member to move the valve to the opened position. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum insulated appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment inlet tube is routed along an inner surface of the liner of the refrigeration compartment from the compartment passthrough to the tank. 
     
     
         9 . A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a refrigeration compartment; and   a water tank having a hollow interior defined by a plurality of walls, wherein the water tank is configured to selectively couple to a liner of the cabinet to form a shelf within the refrigeration compartment, wherein the water tank includes:
 a water inlet line coupled to a back wall of the plurality of walls, wherein the water inlet line is in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the water tank to allow water to flow therein; and 
 a water spout coupled to a bottom wall of the plurality of walls to selectively dispense the water from the hollow interior. 
   
     
     
         10 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a passthrough defined by the cabinet; and   a compartment inlet tube, wherein a coupling assembly is configured to selectively couple the water inlet line to the compartment inlet tube, and wherein the compartment inlet tube is routed through the compartment passthrough, into the refrigeration compartment, and to the coupling assembly to add the water to the hollow interior of the water tank.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the back wall has a recessed portion offset from the back wall that engages the refrigeration compartment when the compartment inlet tube and the water inlet line are coupled together, and wherein the water inlet line is disposed in the recessed portion. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the coupling assembly includes a plug portion coupled to the compartment inlet tube, a socket portion coupled to the water inlet line, and a locking portion coupled to the socket portion, and wherein the locking portion has a locked position coupling the compartment inlet tube and the water inlet line together and an unlocked position allowing the compartment inlet tube and the water inlet line to be coupled and uncoupled. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the water tank further includes:
 a water pump in fluid communication with the hollow interior and the water spout; and   a push button configured to activate the water pump to dispense the water through the water spout.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the liner of the cabinet defines a first slot on a first side wall of the liner and a second slot on a second side wall of the liner, and wherein the water tank is configured selectively couple to the liner by sliding into the first slot and the second slot. 
     
     
         15 . A refrigerator liquid dispenser, comprising:
 a shelf defining a hollow interior configured as a liquid storage tank, wherein the shelf is configured to selectively couple to a refrigeration compartment liner and have a top wall for supporting items thereon;   a spout coupled to the shelf, wherein the spout is in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the shelf; and   a coupling assembly coupled to a back wall of the shelf, wherein the coupling assembly is configured to releasably couple to a liquid line.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator liquid dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the shelf includes a mechanical compartment. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator liquid dispenser of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a pump disposed in the mechanical compartment, wherein the pump is in fluid communication with the liquid storage tank and the spout; and   a push button configured to activate the pump to dispense a liquid stored in the liquid storage tank through the spout.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator liquid dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the spout is coupled to a bottom wall of the shelf. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator liquid dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the shelf further includes:
 a valve coupled to the spout, wherein the valve is operable between an opened position allowing liquid to flow through the spout and a closed position retaining the liquid within the liquid storage tank; and   an actuation device configured to move the valve between the opened position and the closed position.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator liquid dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein the actuation device is a motor operably coupled to the valve and a push button, wherein actuation of the push button is configured to activate the motor to move the valve to the opened position.