IP Library Granted Patent US 12,542,989
Granted Patent B2
US 12,542,989 · App. 18/486,360 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Sound system for a refrigerator appliance

Inventors: Christopher Hayward Osborne (Louisville, KY); Timothy Ray Jackson (Louisville, KY)
Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
H04R1/028F25D23/028F25D23/126H04R1/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,542,989
App. No.
18/486,360
Granted
Feb 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, a dispensing assembly mounted to the door and defining a dispenser recess, a control panel mounted to a front of the door, and a speaker assembly mounted within the door behind the control panel, wherein the speaker assembly comprises a speaker that is oriented downward along the vertical direction into the dispenser recess.

Claims (30)

1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:

a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;

a door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber;

a dispensing assembly mounted to the door and defining a dispenser recess;

a control panel mounted to a front of the door; and

a speaker assembly mounted within the door behind the control panel, wherein the speaker assembly comprises a speaker that is oriented downward along the vertical direction into the dispenser recess.

2 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser recess defines a recess depth measured along the transverse direction, and wherein the speaker is located within a back half of the recess depth.

3 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the speaker is located within a back quarter of the recess depth.

4 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the speaker assembly defines a speaker depth equal to about half of the recess depth.

5 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser recess is defined at least in part by a back wall, two sidewalls, and two arcuate corners that join the back wall to the two sidewalls.

6 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 5 , wherein the speaker assembly is positioned at least partially within one of the two arcuate corners.

7 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing assembly comprises an actuation mechanism, and wherein the speaker assembly is positioned between the actuation mechanism and a sidewall of the dispenser recess.

8 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the speaker assembly comprises:

a sound producing speaker cone that is oriented parallel to the vertical direction.

9 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the speaker assembly has a power level of greater than 5 watts.

10 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the speaker assembly has a power level of between about 6 and 8 watts.

11 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the speaker assembly has a frequency range of between 100 Hz to 18 kHz.

12 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the speaker assembly exhibits a 10 dB reduction in frequency response over an audible spectrum of 20 Hz to 20 KHz.

13 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the speaker assembly further comprises:

a plurality of passive sound radiators positioned within the dispenser recess.

14 . A dispensing assembly for a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising a door and defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dispensing assembly comprising:

a dispenser recess defined at least in part by a back wall, two sidewalls, and two arcuate corners that join the back wall to the two sidewalls;

a control panel mounted within the dispenser recess proximate a front of the door; and

a speaker assembly mounted within the door behind the control panel, wherein the speaker assembly comprises a speaker that is oriented downward along the vertical direction into the dispenser recess.

15 . The dispensing assembly of claim 14 , wherein the dispenser recess defines a recess depth measured along the transverse direction, and wherein the speaker is located within a back half of the recess depth.

16 . The dispensing assembly of claim 14 , wherein the dispenser recess defines a recess depth measured along the transverse direction, and wherein the speaker assembly defines a speaker depth equal to about half of the recess depth.

17 . The dispensing assembly of claim 14 , wherein the speaker assembly is positioned at least partially within one of the two arcuate corners.

18 . The dispensing assembly of claim 14 , wherein the speaker assembly has a power level of between about 6 and 8 watts.

19 . The dispensing assembly of claim 14 , wherein the speaker assembly has a frequency range of between 100 Hz to 18 kHz.

20 . The dispensing assembly of claim 14 , wherein the speaker assembly exhibits a 10 dB reduction in frequency response over an audible spectrum of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: OSBORNE, CHRISTOPHER HAYWARD; JACKSON, TIMOTHY RAY
To: HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065209/0880 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250126383A1 · Apr 17, 2025
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