Countertop appliances and water supply therefor
Systems and methods for providing water to a countertop appliance, and a pitcher which may be used with such systems and methods, are provided. The pitcher may include at least one pitcher wall and an internal volume defined within the at least one wall of the pitcher. The pitcher may be configured to be received in an autofill dispenser in a refrigerator appliance. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber. The pitcher may also be configured to couple to a countertop appliance whereby the internal volume of the pitcher is in fluid communication with the countertop appliance to provide water from the internal volume of the pitcher to the countertop appliance when coupled.
1 . A method of providing water to a countertop appliance, the method comprising:
providing a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber and an autofill dispenser;
providing the countertop appliance;
providing a pitcher; and
receiving the pitcher in the autofill dispenser in the refrigerator appliance, the pitcher comprising at least one pitcher wall, and an internal volume defined within the at least one pitcher wall of the pitcher, and a spout, wherein the at least one pitcher wall comprises a bottom wall, wherein the pitcher comprises a normally-closed check valve extending downward from the bottom wall away from the internal volume of the pitcher, wherein the bottom wall of the pitcher is configured to be received on a shelf of the autofill dispenser, wherein the shelf comprises a recess defined therein which accommodates the normally-closed check valve when the bottom wall of the pitcher is received on the shelf, whereby the normally-closed check valve remains in a closed position while the pitcher is received on the shelf,
flowing a volume of water through the spout into the internal volume of the pitcher from the autofill dispenser in the refrigerator appliance;
coupling the pitcher to the countertop appliance, by coupling the pitcher to the countertop appliance at the normally-closed check valve of the pitcher whereby the normally-closed check valve is moved to an open position and the internal volume of the pitcher is in fluid communication with the countertop appliance through the normally-closed check valve in the open position; and
providing the volume of water from the internal volume of the pitcher to the countertop appliance through the normally-closed check valve in the open position when coupled.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the autofill dispenser is positioned on an inner side of a door of the refrigerator, wherein the volume of water is flowed into the internal volume of the pitcher from the autofill dispenser while the door is in a closed position, whereby the pitcher is located in the fresh food chamber of the refrigerator appliance.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the autofill dispenser defines a cavity, wherein receiving the pitcher in the autofill dispenser comprises receiving the pitcher in the cavity.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the countertop appliance is an ice making appliance, wherein providing the volume of water from the internal volume of the pitcher to the countertop appliance when coupled comprises providing the volume of water from the internal volume of the pitcher to an internal water tank in the ice making appliance.
5 . A system for providing water to a countertop appliance, the system comprising:
a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber; and
an autofill dispenser;
the countertop appliance; and
a pitcher, the pitcher comprising at least one pitcher wall, an internal volume defined within the at least one wall of the pitcher, and a spout, wherein the pitcher is configured to receive a volume of water into the internal volume of the pitcher from the autofill dispenser in the refrigerator appliance by flowing the volume of water into the internal volume through the spout, wherein the at least one pitcher wall comprises a bottom wall, wherein the pitcher comprises a normally-closed check valve extending downward from the bottom wall away from the internal volume of the pitcher,
wherein the pitcher is configured to be received in the autofill dispenser in the refrigerator appliance, wherein the bottom wall of the pitcher is configured to be received on a shelf of the autofill dispenser, wherein the shelf comprises a recess defined therein which accommodates the normally-closed check valve when the bottom wall of the pitcher is received on the shelf, whereby the normally-closed check valve remains in a closed position while the pitcher is received on the shelf, and wherein the pitcher is configured to couple to the countertop appliance, by coupling the pitcher to the countertop appliance at the normally-closed check valve of the pitcher whereby the normally-closed check valve is moved to an open position and the internal volume of the pitcher is in fluid communication with the countertop appliance through the normally-closed check valve in the open position to provide water from the internal volume of the pitcher to the countertop appliance when coupled.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the autofill dispenser is positioned on an inner side of a door of the refrigerator, whereby the pitcher is located in the fresh food chamber of the refrigerator appliance when the pitcher is received in the autofill dispenser and the door is in a closed position.
7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the autofill dispenser defines a cavity, wherein the pitcher is configured to be received in the cavity of the autofill dispenser.
8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the countertop appliance is an ice making appliance and wherein the pitcher is configured to couple to the countertop appliance whereby the internal volume of the pitcher is in fluid communication with an internal water tank in the ice making appliance to provide the volume of water from the internal volume of the pitcher to the internal water tank in the ice making appliance.