CN101078592A

CN101078592A - Dispenser and refrigerator having the same

Info

Publication number: CN101078592A
Application number: CNA2007101049566A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 安宰局; 金重来; 金钟烨
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-26
Filing date: 2007-05-17
Publication date: 2007-11-28
Also published as: US20070289669A1; KR20070113870A

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided in which, when a structure that secures space to place a container is provided in a dispenser, an object can be dispensed from the dispenser regardless of the position of the structure. The dispenser includes a dispensing port in which an object is dispensed, a switch installed in the dispensing port to dispense the object, a support pivotally installed in the dispensing port and unfoldable from a folded state to place various vessels thereon, and an access portion of the support providing access to the switch to activate the switch in the folded state of the support. The access portion may be a cut-off portion such that the switch is inserted into the support to be exposed or an auxiliary switch to transmit force to the switch when the object is dispensed to indirectly activate the switch. Moreover, the support may directly access the switch.

Description

Distributor and refrigerator with this distributor

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of refrigerator, more particularly, the present invention relates to a kind of refrigerator with distributor, described distributor permission user need not open the door and just can take out water or ice in refrigerator.

Background technology

Refrigerator is that the cold air that will be produced by kind of refrigeration cycle is provided to compartment to keep various foods fresh equipment for a long time.Usually, refrigerator comprises main body, and described main body has the compartment that holds food; And door, described door is connected on the main body pivotally so that open and close compartment.Recently, refrigerator has comprised the distributor that is integrated on the door, and described distributor allows the user need not open door just acquisition water and ice from refrigerator easily, and prevents that cold air in the compartment is because of the frequent opening and closing of door run off (or losing).

Fig. 1 is the side sectional view that diagram has the conventional refrigerator of distributor.As illustrated among Fig. 1, the distributor 10 of conventional refrigerator comprises: distribution openings 11, described distribution openings 11 is recessed in the door 1, thereby the container C that is used for holding the object that will be assigned with is placed into the distribution openings 11 that is used for dispensing water and ice or removes from the distribution openings 11 that is used for dispensing water and ice; With actuator lever 12, described actuator lever 12 is installed in the distribution openings 11.In traditional refrigerator, because the distribution openings of distributor 11 is deeply to being enough to allow container C to place within it, so the rear side of door 1, for example the part A among Fig. 1 is protruded towards compartment 2 quite a lot ofly, and this causes the compartment 2 interior spatial accommodations of adjacent sub orchestration 10 to reduce.Consider the problems referred to above, if reduce the degree of depth of distribution openings 11, the space that container C is placed within it just can not guarantee fitted vessel C, brings inconvenience to the user thus.

On the other hand, the open No.2005-26740 of Korean Patent has disclosed a kind of refrigerator that comprises the distributor door, and described distributor door opens and closes distributor housing.In described refrigerator, when the distributor door is opened, the container that holds water be placed on the distributor door, on the surface of distributor.By using the distributor door that in the open No.2005-26740 of Korean Patent, discloses, although distributor housing does not have to guarantee to be enough to container is placed on space within the case, but because container can be placed on the surface of the distributor door of opening, the problems referred to above can obtain part and solve.Yet,, use so be unfavorable for the convenient of user because must open the distributor door in order to receive object from distributor.

Summary of the invention

Consider that the problems referred to above make the present invention, and one aspect of the present invention provides a kind of refrigerator, in described refrigerator, the space of placing container when using distributor is guaranteed, and the rear side of refrigerator doors protrudes in the compartment with the degree of minimum.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a kind of refrigerator, wherein, when the structure that is used for guaranteeing placing the space of container within it is arranged on distributor, can distribute object from distributor under to the hard-core situation in the position of structure.

Other aspect of the present invention and/or advantage part are set forth in the following description, and part becomes obviously by description, perhaps can understand by putting into practice the present invention.

According to an aspect, the invention provides a kind of refrigerator, described refrigerator comprises distributor, and described distributor need not be opened the user under the situation of door and allow distribute object, and described distributor comprises: the distribution openings of outlet is provided, and object is assigned with by described outlet; Actuation switch, described actuation switch is installed in the distribution openings, thereby allows the user to start described actuation switch to distribute object; Support, described support is installed in the distribution openings pivotally, and can move to the deployed condition of leaving the expansion that pivoted in the distribution openings from the folded state that is folded in the distribution openings; With the passage portion of support, described passage portion provides path to actuation switch so that the user starts actuation switch when support is in folded state.

The passage portion of described support is to cut part, thereby when support was in folded state, actuation switch insertion support cut in the part and exposes.

The passage portion of described support is an auxiliary switch, and the power that described auxiliary switch is used for being applied by the user when distributing object is delivered to actuation switch, so that start actuation switch indirectly.

Described auxiliary switch comprises: actuated components, and when distributing object, described actuated components is owing to externally applied forces moves to start actuation switch towards actuation switch; And elastomeric element, described elastomeric element is used for actuated components returned elastically its initial position.One end of described actuated components protrudes farther forward than the front side of support.

Can pivot and the startup actuation switch towards actuation switch under the folded state of described support in being folded to distribution openings.

Described distributor further comprises return mechanism, and described return mechanism is arranged on the rear side of support so that support is turned back to initial position.Described return mechanism comprises the support component of contact support rear side and to the elastomeric element of the described support component of rack elasticity bias voltage.

The front side of described support bends to the outer surface that contacts bulge when distributing object naturally.

Described distributor further comprises water tray, and described water tray is lower than support to be installed, and is used to collect the residue that produces when object is assigned with, and when support was in the folded state that is folded in the distribution openings, water tray protruded farther forward than the front side of support.

The rear side of described support comprises the collection recess, and when distributing object, described collection recess is used to collect the residual water on the rear side that drops in the support that leaving pivots in the distribution openings launches, be in deployed condition downwards.

Described refrigerator further comprises heat guard, and described heat guard is arranged in the support to prevent that cold air runs off by distribution openings.

Described refrigerator can comprise main body, and described main body has inner compartment and cold air and produces part, and described cold air generating unit branch is arranged in the main body with generation and remains on cold air in the compartment.

Described support further comprises latch recess, and described latch recess is arranged on downside behind the support, leaves the deployed condition that pivots and launch in the distribution openings so that support is maintained.

Aforementioned and/or other aspects of the present invention can be installed on the refrigerator to allow not distributing the distributor of object to realize under the user opens the situation of door by providing a kind of, described distributor comprises: distribution openings, when object was assigned with, described distribution openings provided path to hold object for container; Actuation switch, described actuation switch is installed in the distribution openings, thereby allows the user to start described actuation switch to distribute object; Support, described support can pivot on the direction up and down, and described support pivots and is connected to the lower end of distribution openings; Passage portion with support, when the passage portion of described support is in its medium-height trestle at the state that upwards pivots upward at support, for the user is provided to the path of actuation switch, when support is closed distribution openings, allow thus the user near actuation switch to start actuation switch.

Aforementioned and/or other aspects of the present invention can realize that described distributor comprises by a kind of distributor that is installed on the refrigerator is provided: distribute outlet; Actuation switch, described actuation switch can be activated to export the dispensers body by distributing; Pivotable support, described support are used to support the container by the object that distributes the outlet reception, and described support pivots and is connected to the lower end of distributor; But the actuation switch passage portion of pivot brackets, described actuation switch passage portion is provided to the path of actuation switch.When pivotable support was in vertical substantially position, the actuation switch passage portion provided the path of container to actuation switch.

In addition, the actuation switch passage portion of described pivotable support can be the part of cutting away of support.The actuation switch passage portion of support can be got in touch the auxiliary switch of (or cooperation) with actuation switch.The actuation switch passage portion of support can be the part of cutting away of support rear side, and when support was in vertical substantially state, the part of cutting away of support rear side was got in touch with actuation switch.

Aforementioned and/or other aspects of the present invention can realize that described distributor comprises: distribution openings by a kind of distributor that is installed on the refrigerator is provided; Actuation switch, described actuation switch is positioned at described distribution openings, and can be activated to distribute object; With pivotable support, described pivotable support can support the container that is used to receive object, described pivotable support pivots and is connected to the lower end of distributor, described pivotable support can be pivoted to the position of level substantially from vertical substantially position in the distribution openings, and pivotable support has the outer surface of crooked front surface with the contact bulge.

Described distributor can comprise the collection recess, and described collection recess arrangement is used for collecting object when distributing object in the rear surface of support.

Description of drawings

By describing embodiment below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, these and/or other aspect of the present invention and advantage will become obviously and be more readily understood.Among the figure:

Fig. 1 is the side sectional view that illustrates the conventional refrigerator that distributor wherein is installed;

Fig. 2 is the perspective view of diagram according to the outward appearance of the refrigerator of first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is the side sectional view of diagram according to the structure of the refrigerator of first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is the perspective view of the distributor of (or extracting from Fig. 2) in the pictorial image 2, and distributor is in the state that support pivots forward among this figure;

Fig. 5 is the cutaway view of diagram according to the structure of the distributor of the refrigerator of second embodiment of the invention; With

Fig. 6 is the cutaway view of diagram according to the structure of the distributor of the refrigerator of third embodiment of the invention.

The specific embodiment

Now in detail with reference to embodiments of the invention, the example view of embodiments of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in the accompanying drawings, identical Reference numeral is represented identical parts all the time.Below by embodiment being described with reference to the drawings to explain the present invention.

Fig. 2 is the perspective view of diagram according to the outward appearance of the refrigerator of first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 is the side sectional view of diagram according to the structure of the refrigerator of first embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 is the perspective view of the distributor of (or extracting from Fig. 2) in the pictorial image 2, and this distributor medium-height trestle pivots forward.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 and 3, comprise according to the refrigerator of the embodiment of the invention: main body 20, described main body 20 has the compartment 21 that is used to preserve food; At least Yishanmen 30, and described door 30 is pivotally connected to main body 20, and door 30 opens and closes so that be provided to the path of compartment 21.Main body 20 comprises: shell 22, and described shell 22 is used to form the outer surface of main body 20; With inner casing 23, described inner casing 23 is spaced apart to form compartment within it with shell 22.Between shell 22 and inner casing 23, refrigerator heat guard 24 is that foamed material is made, and is lost to the refrigerator outside so that prevent cold air.

Compartment 21 is isolated into right side and left side by central dividing plate (or intermediate spacer) 25, thereby the right side has formed the refrigeration compartment 21a that is used to hold with chilled food, and the left side has formed the refrigeration compartment 21b that is used to hold with frozen food.Rear side at compartment 21 is a cold air generating chamber 26, provides the cold air that will be supplied to compartment 21 from described cold air generating chamber 26.In cold air generating chamber 26, installed by carrying out the evaporimeter 27 that heat exchange produces cold air, and be used for installing to circulating fan 28 next-door neighbour's evaporimeters 27 of compartment 21 supply cold airs with surrounding air.

In the front side of door 30, distributor 100 is mounted for distributing object, for example water or ice, and the user needn't open door 30.Although do not describe among the figure, the feed pipe that will be directed to distributor 100 from the water of water source supply is installed in the door 30.The ice feeder that is used for ice is supplied to distributor 100 is installed in the refrigeration compartment 21b.The ice feeder comprises: the ice making unit 41 that is used for ice making; Ice cube pallet 42, described ice cube pallet 42 are arranged to be lower than than ice making unit 41 so that be contained in the ice cube of making in the ice making unit 41; Supply unit 43, described supply unit 43 are used to carry the ice cube that is contained in the ice cube pallet 42; With pulverizing unit 44, described pulverizing unit 44 is used for the ice cube that supply unit 43 is carried is ground into trash ice.

As illustrated in Fig. 3 and 4, distributor 100 comprises: distribution openings 110, described distribution openings 110 have outlet 111, are discharged from by described outlet 111 objects; Actuation switch 120, described actuation switch 120 is installed to the discharge that is used to provide object on the distribution openings 110; Support 130, described support 130 is installed in the distribution openings 110 pivotally, and can inwardly be folded in the distribution openings 110, and can launch downwards, thus various container can be placed on it; Water tray 160, described water tray 160 is installed in the downside of support, is used to collect the residue that produces when object is assigned with.When object was assigned with, the container C of holding object was placed in the distribution openings 110.

Support 130 is installed into around hinge axis 131 pivots, described hinge axis 131 is installed in the lower end of distribution openings 110, and support 130 is installed into from being folded to the state in the distribution openings 110, the rear side 132 that is pivoted into support 130 forward from the door 30 almost level that becomes, thus allow various cups or container to be placed on the rear side 132 of support 130.

So, because be provided with support 130, distribution openings 110 is configured to hold folding support 130, and is configured to additionally have the space that enough is used near described outlet 111.Thus, because the rear side of door 30 does not protrude towards compartment 21 in order to form the space that can place container, reduce so can prevent the spatial accommodation of compartment 21.In addition, as illustrated in Figure 3 because at distributor 100 rear sides, be used to hold article for example the door shield of milk bottle, water bottle etc. (door guard) 32 can be installed in side 31 behind the door, so the inside of compartment 21 can be effectively utilized.

Especially, in the present invention, support 130 comprises the passage portion or the access device 140 of support, though also can be directly or indirectly when being used to allow the user in support is folded to distribution openings 110 near actuation switch 120 to start actuation switch 120.When support 130 not when distribution openings 110 is regained, access device 140 allows users to start actuation switch 120, thereby when distributing object, needn't pivot brackets 130 just can use distributor 100 easily.

Fig. 3 and 4 illustrates access device 140, that is, be formed on and cut part 141 in the support 130.Cut part 141 and be formed on corresponding to the position of actuation switch 120 and be formed with shape, thereby actuation switch 120 is inserted into and cuts in the part 141 and expose when support 130 is folded in the distribution openings 110 corresponding to actuation switch 120.Cutting part 141 is the part spaces interior, be provided to the path of actuation switch 120 when support 130 is in folded state that are limited at support 130.At this, actuation switch has the height that is enough to by cutting part 141 so that expose.Thereby, the user forward pivot brackets 130 with near actuation switch 120, so that under the situation of not opening distribution openings 110, start actuation switch 120.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the front side 133 of support 130 can have curved surface 133a, thereby the outer surface of bulge can contact front side 133 naturally, and when support 130 was folded in the distribution openings 110, the water tray 160 that is lower than support 130 layouts preferably protruded more forward than the front side 133 of support 130.So, when support 130 fronts in object is folding into distribution openings 110 are assigned with, can collect residue effectively than the water tray 160 that protrude more forward the front side 133 of support 130.In addition, when support 130 illustrated pivoted and when being in level, the water tray 160 of protrusion is supporting support 130 in as Fig. 4.

And, be used to prevent that cold air preferably is arranged in the support 130 by the distributor heat guard 134 of distribution openings 110 losses of distributor 100.Thus, under the situation that does not weaken insulation effect, can adopt thin, internal insulation body 33, and described internal insulation body 33 is in the rear side of distributor 100 is arranged on door 30, thereby door 30 can be done thinlyyer and can effectively utilize the spatial accommodation of compartment 21.

In addition, as illustrated in Figure 4, preferably, at least one collects the rear side 132 that recess 132a is formed on support 130.When support 130 is pivoted to level so that when path to the object that will distribute is provided, drops in water on the rear side 132 of support 130 downwards and accumulate in and collect among the recess 132a dripping on the indoor floor under water with the rear side 132 that prevents support 130.In the case, when support 130 is folded in the distribution openings 110 once more, be collected in the current collected among the recess 132a down and be collected in the water pallet 160.

Latch recess 101 is arranged on support 130 back downsides, and so that container was placed on it, the end by lock bracket 130 remained on level with support 130 with convenient pivot brackets 130.

Fig. 5 is the cutaway view of structure that illustrates the distributor of refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.Hereinafter, have only the peculiar feature of this embodiment to obtain describing, and with Fig. 3 in the similar member of member among the embodiment that describes use identical Reference numeral.

As illustrated in Figure 5, support 130 has the auxiliary switch 142 as access device 140.When distributing object, the power that auxiliary switch 142 applies the user is delivered to actuation switch 120, thereby actuation switch 120 can be started indirectly.Auxiliary switch 142 comprises: actuated components 142a, and when distributing object, described actuated components 142a is owing to externally applied forces moves to start actuation switch 120 to actuation switch 120; With elastomeric element 142b, described elastomeric element 142b is used for actuated components 142a is returned elastically its initial position.

In the case, the end of actuated components 142a protrudes farther forward and its contact activated switch 120 in opposite end than the front side of support 130.By these, can start actuation switch 120 because push actuated components 142a, so under the situation of from distribution openings 110, not pulling out support 130, also can distribute object.

Fig. 6 is the cutaway view of structure of distributor of the refrigerator of diagram a third embodiment in accordance with the invention.In this embodiment, support 130 is as access device 140, and support 130 is installed into when being in the state that is folded in the distribution openings 110 towards actuation switch 120 pivots.Thus, because the user pushes support 130 to start actuation switch 120, so just can distribute object under the situation of not pulling out support 130 from distribution openings 110.In the case, return mechanism 150 is arranged on the rear side of support 130, so that the external force on acting on support 130 is returned support 130 when removing its initial position before being depressed.Return mechanism 150 is arranged on the rear side 132 of support 130.As illustrated in Figure 6, return mechanism 150 can comprise the support component 151 of the rear side 132 that is used to contact support 130 and be used for elastomeric element 152 to support 130 fexible bias pressure support components.

The access device of the support 130 among Fig. 6 or passage portion 140 are included in the part of cutting away on the support rear side 132.When support is in vertical substantially position, cuts away part and get in touch (or cooperation) with actuation switch 120.

As mentioned above, the present invention includes access device, wherein, when support that container is placed on it is folded in the distribution openings of distributor, the user can be near actuation switch starting actuation switch, thereby when support was opened or fold, object can be distributed easily.

In addition, according to the present invention because be provided with the support that container is placed on it, so that the refrigerator doors rear side inwardly protrudes in the compartment so that be minimized with required space for placing container.Therefore, can effectively utilize the interior spatial accommodation of compartment more.

Although illustrated and described several embodiments of the present invention; but what it should be understood by one skilled in the art that is; under the situation that does not depart from principle of the present invention and spirit; can make a change these embodiment, and protection scope of the present invention is limited in claim and the equivalent thereof.

Claims

1, a kind of refrigerator that comprises door comprises:

Distributor, described distributor allow object to be assigned with, and described distributor comprises:

The distribution openings of outlet is provided, and object is assigned with by described outlet;

Actuation switch, described actuation switch is installed in the distribution openings, thereby allows the user to start described actuation switch to distribute object;

Support, described support is installed in the distribution openings pivotally, and can move to the deployed condition of leaving the expansion that pivots in the distribution openings from the folded state that is folded in the distribution openings; With

The passage portion of support, the passage portion of described support provide path to actuation switch so that the user starts actuation switch when support is in folded state.

2, refrigerator according to claim 1, the passage portion of wherein said support are to cut part, thereby when support was in folded state, actuation switch insertion support cut in the part and exposes.

3, refrigerator according to claim 1, the passage portion of wherein said support is an auxiliary switch, the power that described auxiliary switch is used for being applied by the user when distributing object is delivered to actuation switch, so that start actuation switch indirectly.

4, refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein said auxiliary switch comprises:

Actuated components, when distributing object, described actuated components is owing to externally applied forces moves to start actuation switch towards actuation switch; With

Elastomeric element, described elastomeric element is used for actuated components is returned elastically initial position.

5, refrigerator according to claim 4, the end of wherein said actuated components is protruded farther forward than the front side of support.

6, refrigerator according to claim 1 can pivot and the startup actuation switch towards actuation switch under the folded state of wherein said support in being folded to distribution openings.

7, refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein said distributor further comprises return mechanism, described return mechanism is arranged on the rear side of support so that support is turned back to initial position.

8, refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein said return mechanism comprise the support component of contact support rear side and to the elastomeric element of the described support component of rack elasticity bias voltage.

9, refrigerator according to claim 1, the front side of wherein said support bend to the outer surface that contacts bulge when distributing object naturally.

10, refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said distributor further comprises water tray, described water tray is lower than support and installs, and be used to collect when object is assigned with the residue that produces, when support was in the folded state that is folded in the distribution openings, water tray protruded farther forward than the front side of support.

11, refrigerator according to claim 10, the rear side of wherein said support comprises the collection recess, when distributing object, described collection recess is used to collect the residual water on the rear side that drops in the support that leaving the deployed condition that pivot launches in the distribution openings downwards.

12, refrigerator according to claim 1 further comprises heat guard, and described heat guard is arranged in the support to prevent that cold air runs off by distribution openings.

13, a kind of distributor of refrigerator that be installed in to allow object to be assigned with, described distributor comprises:

Distribution openings, when object was assigned with, described distribution openings provided path for the container that holds object;

Support, described support can pivot on the direction up and down, and described support pivots and is connected to the lower end of distribution openings; With

When the passage portion of support, the passage portion of described support are in its medium-height trestle at the state that upwards pivots upward at support, provide the user to arrive the path of actuation switch.

14, a kind of distributor that is installed in refrigerator comprises:

Distribution openings;

Actuation switch, described actuation switch is positioned at described distribution openings, and can be activated to distribute object; With

Pivotable support, described pivotable support can support the container that is used to receive object, described pivotable support pivots and is connected to the lower end of distributor, described pivotable support can be pivoted to the position of level substantially from vertical substantially position in the distribution openings, and pivotable support has the outer surface of crooked front surface with the contact bulge.

15, distributor according to claim 14 further comprises the collection recess, and described collection recess arrangement is used for collecting object when distributing object in the rear surface of support.