JP2655593B2 - Water distributor for refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water distributor for a refrigerator which allows cold water stored in a refrigerator to be taken out of the refrigerator without opening a door. In addition to being convenient for use, the opening and closing movement of the water intake is performed reliably, and the flow of the discharged cold water is dropped in a vertical line so that the generation of residual water and water droplets can be minimized. Related to a refrigerator water distributor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, water is stored and stored in a refrigerator so that refreshing cold water can be drunk, especially in the summer season. When taking water, the refrigerator door is opened and stored in the refrigerator. Then, the user takes out the container, drinks an appropriate amount of water using a container such as a cup, and stores the container storing the water in the container again. Such a method not only raises the temperature inside the refrigerator by opening and closing the door to increase power consumption, but also has a problem that it is extremely inconvenient to use.

Conventionally, a refrigerator equipped with a water cooler designed so that cold water cooled in a refrigerator can be taken out of the refrigerator is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 50-37546.

According to the above-mentioned publication, as shown in FIG. 5, a door 2 is openably and closably connected to a front surface of a refrigerator body 1 having a refrigerator compartment therein, and inside the refrigerator compartment 1a. A cold water container 3 storing cold water is attached,
An operation lever 6 is connected to the lower side of the chilled water container 3 by operating the valve device 4 to open and close to discharge the chilled water in the chilled water container 3 into the cup 5 so that water can be taken. Consists of

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the operation lever 6 is removably and elastically hinged to a support point 7 fixed to the door 2, and has an operation rod 6a on one side. It is protruding. The valve device 4, which is opened and closed as the operation lever 6 is operated, is provided with a valve operating portion 8 which is provided so as to slide up and down as the operation rod 6a moves up and down.
And a valve body 10 that opens or closes a water intake 9 formed on one side thereof by being moved up and down in conjunction with the valve operating portion 8.

Accordingly, when the cold water in the refrigerator compartment 1a is to be taken in from outside, the tip of the operating lever 6 is moved downward in the drawing, and the operating rod 6a formed on one side thereof is turned upward. The valve operating portion 8 of the valve device is raised, and the valve body 10 is detached at a predetermined interval at the upper end of the water intake 9 as the valve operating portion 8 moves upward, so that the valve operating portion 8 is moved into the water intake 9. The cold water in the cold water container 3 is discharged into the cup 5 so that water can be taken.

Further, when the urging of the operating lever 6 is released, the valve operating portion 8 is lowered by the elastic force of the elastic member, so that the valve body 10 is brought into close contact with the upper end of the water intake 9 and the cold water is discharged. Is stopped.

[0008]

The conventional technique constructed as described above has an advantage that the operation lever can be easily attached and detached, thereby cleaning the surrounding area to some extent. The flow of the cold water discharged through the air is scattered to generate a large amount of water droplets, so that the periphery of the refrigerator becomes dirty. Also, the conventional technology is
It is unsanitary and one hand of the user grips a container such as a cup at the time of water intake, and the other hand must operate the operating lever, which is extremely inconvenient to use, and it is not convenient for use. By moving the operation lever downward, the operation becomes extremely inconvenient when the water distributor is provided below the door, and there are various problems that it is difficult to apply the water distributor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned various problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an easy operation, a reliable operation of a valve body, and a chilled water. The object of the present invention is to provide a water distributor for a refrigerator that minimizes the generation of water drops and residual water because the flow of discharge is uniform.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a water distributor for a refrigerator which is easy to clean and easy to separate and combine with each other, and is very convenient to use. It is in.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water distributor for a refrigerator, comprising: a cold water container for storing cold water cooled in a refrigerator;
A front cover having a water intake lever rotatably connected to the front surface of the door, and a valve body being moved up and down by sliding the water intake lever as the water intake lever is rotated to selectively cool water in the cold water container. A water dispenser for a refrigerator, comprising a sliding member having a slanted portion formed therein for ejecting water and a cylinder member having a water intake port on one side, wherein the sliding member is stored on a lower end surface of the cold water container. A lower cap having a chilled water inflow passage through which chilled water can flow, and a cut-out formed on the outside of the valve body so as to be inclined to one side, and a contact prevention protrusion for projecting the valve body; When a container is set at the water intake port, the inclined portion of the sliding member moves up the valve body in conjunction with the water intake lever, and is formed integrally with the valve body to contact the lower end surface of the cold water container. Touched The valve plate is detached at a predetermined interval from the cold water inflow passage to selectively discharge cold water in the cold water container, and interlocks with the water intake lever when the container is separated from the water intake of the cylinder member. The gist of the invention is that the inclined portion of the sliding member lowers the valve body, and the valve plate closes the upper end of the cold water inflow passage to shut off the discharge of the cold water in the cold water container.

Therefore, the structure is simple, the components are easily separated and connected, and not only is it convenient for cleaning and the like, but also the operation of the water intake lever while holding a container such as a cup with one hand. It is possible to prevent the cold water from flowing out due to inadvertent operation of the valve element when refilling the cold water.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 denotes a door in which a heat insulating material 26 is formed between an inner plate 22 and an outer plate 24, and the lower side of the door 20 in the figure is cooled in a refrigerator. A water intake chamber 28 for taking in cold water is formed.

Further, a water intake lever having a hinge shaft 30a protruding on both sides thereof is rotatably inserted into the front surface of the water intake chamber 28 in the drawing, and a front cover 32 having a through hole 32a formed in the front surface. A water drop receiving member 34 having a grip projection 34a protruding therefrom so as to facilitate water intake is detachably inserted under the front cover 32.
A net-shaped tray member 36 is seated on the upper side of the water drop receiving member 34 so that the water drop can flow in.

On the other hand, a cylinder member 40 having a water intake 38 formed so as to discharge cold water is closely inserted into a through hole 32a protruding from the front cover 32 via a packing member 42. The inside of 40 has an inclined part 4 on one side.
A sliding member 44 having 4a is inserted through a sealing member 46 so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction in the figure. The sliding member 44 is fixed to the door 2 by an elastic member 48 interposed on one side.
0 so as to be located on the front side.

A plurality of guide projections 38a are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the water intake port 38 so as to project inward so that the flow of the discharged cold water can be uniformly discharged without being dispersed. At least one of the projections 38a is protruded to the vicinity of the center of the water intake 39 as shown in FIG. 3 in order to guide the flow of the cold water not to be dispersed even when a small amount of cold water is discharged. Center projection 38b is provided in a protruding manner.

Further, a chilled water container 50 in which a predetermined amount of chilled water W is stored is detachably seated in an opening 40a formed on the upper side of the cylinder member 40.

On the upper side of the cold water container 50 in the drawing, a filter member 52 having a plurality of fine holes 52a formed therein to prevent inflow of foreign substances contained in the cold water W when replenishing the cold water W.
Is inserted, and a separable lid 54 is coupled to the upper side thereof.

Further, a cold water inflow passage 56a through which the cold water W can flow is provided below the cold water container 50, and the contact prevention portion 5 is formed so as to be inclined to one side.
6b is coupled to the lower cap 56,
Inside the cold water inflow passage 56a, a valve body 58, whose lower end is brought into contact with the inclined portion 44a and moves up and down as the sliding member 44 slides, is elastically provided by an elastic member 48a.

On the upper side of the valve body 58 in the figure, a valve plate 60 having a resilient force so as to selectively discharge the cold water W in the cold water container 50 by being closely attached to or detached from the upper end of the cold water inflow passage 56a. Is fixed, and the cylinder member 4 is provided.
A plug 62 is detachably connected to the inside of the container 0 via a resilient member 48 with the sliding member 44.

On the other hand, a plurality of connecting projections 22a are protruded from the inside of the inner plate 22, and a back cover 64 having an incision 64a is detachably connected to the connecting projections 22a.

Further, above the front cover 32,
A cover plate 66 that supports the inner surface of the water intake lever 30 so as to be in contact with the tip of the sliding member 44 is fixed.

In the drawing, an unexplained reference numeral 68 indicates the water intake lever 3.
0, the cold water W discharged through the water inlet 38
70a, 70b
Indicates a gasket made of silicon.

Next, the operation and effects of the water distributor for a refrigerator according to the present invention configured as described above will be described.

First, when the cold water W cooled in the refrigerator is to be taken out, the container 6 such as a cup is placed in the water intake chamber 28.
8, the water intake lever 30 is pressed, and as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the water intake lever 30 is rotated at a predetermined angle about a hinge shaft 30a, and the sliding member in the cylinder member 40 is rotated. 44 is moved to the inside of the refrigerator.

Further, the sliding member 44 is an elastic member 48
When the inward movement of the valve body 58 is performed while compressing it, the inclined portion 44a rises while pressing the lower end of the valve body 58. When the valve body 58 rises while compressing the elastic member 48a, the valve plate 60 connected to the upper side thereof is detached at a predetermined interval from the upper end of the cold water inflow passage 56a, so that the inside of the cold water inflow passage 56a is removed. The chilled water W in the chilled water container 50 flows into the tank. The cold water W that has flowed into the cold water inflow passage 56a is supplied to the cylinder member 4 connected to the lower side thereof.
After flowing into the chamber 0, it is discharged into the container 68 through the water inlet 38 as shown in FIG.

At this time, a plurality of guide projections 38a project from the inner peripheral surface of the water intake port 38, so that the flow of the discharged cold water W is discharged in a hanging line shape without being dispersed. In addition, a central projection 38b extending to the vicinity of the center is protrudingly provided on the water intake port 38 and the inner peripheral surface.
Even when the amount of the chilled water W stored in the chilled water container 50 is small, the chilled water W discharged through the water intake port 38 can be discharged in the form of a droop without being dispersed, thereby minimizing the generation of water droplets. It is done.

On the other hand, when the urging of the water intake lever 30 is released, the sliding member 44 located inside the cylinder inside the cylinder member 40 returns to the original state by the elastic force of the elastic member 48 and tilts. When the portion 44a is detached from the valve body 58, the valve body 58 is moved downward in the figure by the elastic force of the elastic member 48a.

At this time, the valve body 58 is moved downward, and the valve plate 60 is moved downward so that the cold water inflow passage 5
6a, the upper end of the cold water container 5 is closed.
While the supply of cold water W stored in 0 is interrupted,
The discharge of the cold water W into the water intake 38 is also interrupted.

That is, the closing movement of the valve plate 60 interrupts the flow of the cold water W into the cold water inflow passage 56a, and the sliding member 44, which is elastically slid by the elastic force of the elastic member 48, is moved. The cold water W in the cylinder member 40 is discharged into the container 68 through the water inlet 38 while applying pressure, so that no residual water remains in the water inlet 38.

At this time, the cylinder member 40 is passed through a cold water inflow passage 56a formed inside the lower cap 56.
The cold water W flowing into the inside is prevented from being discharged by the sealing member 46 coupled to one side of the sliding member 44 being brought into close contact with the side surface of the cylinder member 40 by the elastic force of the elastic member 48, The sliding member 44 is an elastic member 48
The spring force returns to the original state, and the water intake lever 30 in contact with the tip thereof also returns to the original state.

Further, when replenishing the cold water W in the cold water container 50, the cold water container 50 seated in the opening 40a is separated from the cylinder member 40, and then the lid 54 is opened to open the filter member 52. The filter member 52 is provided with a plurality of fine holes 52a so that foreign substances and the like contained in the cold water W flow into the cold water container 50. In addition to preventing cold water W, the lower cap 56 connected to the front surface of the cold water container 50 is provided with a contact prevention portion 56b, so that the valve body 58 is operated by carelessness when replenishing the cold water W, and W is prevented from flowing out.

On the other hand, when the cut portion 64a inserted into the coupling projection 22a is slid upward with the chilled water container 50 separated, the back cover 64 can be separated from the inner plate 22 and the back cover 64 can be separated. After the cylinder member 40 is separated from the through hole 32a after the separation of the cylinder member 64, the stopper 62 is separated from the cylinder member 40, so that the sliding member 44 can be separated. Can be easily cleaned.

At this time, the connecting order of the cylinder member 40, the sliding member 44 and the back cover 64 is the reverse of the order of separation.

Further, the water droplets generated due to an improper position of the container 68 at the time of water withdrawal are stored in the water droplet receiving member 34 through the tray member 36, and the water droplet receiving member 3
After being separated by the tray member 36, the water droplets stored in the tray 4 can be taken out while holding the grip projections 34a, so that the processing of the water droplets is performed extremely conveniently.

[0037]

As described above, according to the water distributor for a refrigerator of the present invention, the structure is simple, the separation and the connection are easy, and the work such as cleaning is extremely convenient. As well as being able to operate, it is possible to prevent the cold water from flowing out due to inadvertent operation of the valve element when refilling cold water, and it is provided not only on the upper side of the door but also on the lower side
It has various excellent advantages such as easy design change.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a water distributor for a refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a water distributor for a refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a water intake to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing an operation state of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a refrigerator provided with a conventional water distributor.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of a conventional water distributor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 door 30 water intake lever 32 front cover 34 water drop receiving member 34a gripping protrusion 36 tray member 38 water intake 38a guide protrusion 44 sliding member 44a inclined portion 50 cold water container 52 filter member 52a minute hole 56 lower cap 56a cold water inflow passage 58 valve Body 60 Valve plate W Cold water

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cold water container for storing cold water cooled in a refrigerator, a front cover having a water intake lever rotatably connected to a front surface of a door, and a pivoting operation of the water intake lever. A cylinder member having a slidable member in which an inclined portion for selectively discharging cold water in a chilled water container is formed by sliding the valve body up and down by sliding, and a water intake port on one side. In the water distributor for a refrigerator, having a cold water inflow passage so that cold water stored at a lower end surface of the cold water container can flow in, and a cutout is formed so as to be inclined to one side outside the valve body. When a container is set at the intake port of the cylinder member, the inclined portion of the sliding member raises the valve body in conjunction with the intake lever when a container is set at the intake port of the cylinder member. Move A valve plate formed integrally with the valve body and in contact with a lower end surface of the chilled water container is detached at a predetermined interval from the chilled water inflow passage to selectively discharge chilled water in the chilled water container. When the container is separated from the intake port of the cylinder member, the inclined portion of the sliding member lowers the valve body in conjunction with the intake lever, and the valve plate closes the upper end of the cold water inflow passage. A water dispenser for a refrigerator, wherein the discharge of the chilled water in the chilled water container is interrupted.