JP2006023017A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator with water feeder which has a simple mechanism with a small number of part items so that the cost can be reduced, and also has improved cleanability of a water storage tank. <P>SOLUTION: The refrigerator comprises the water storage tank 17 provided on a door inner shelf 14, the water feeder 16 provided on the outer side of a door, and a feed pipe 18 connecting the storage tank 17 to the water feeder 16. A detachable lid 19 provided with a lock mechanism 23 is provided on the top surface of the storage tank 17, and a rib 21 extending over the whole circumference of an opening part is provided on the inside of the lid 19. Even if water in the storage tank 17 is rocked at the time of opening and closing the door 12 of the refrigerator, the water is interrupted by the rib 21 extending over the whole circumference of the opening part on the inside of the lid 19 without leak to the outside of the storage tank 17. Therefore, since a leak preventing rubber packing or the like for the storage tank 17 is dispensed with, the structure can be simplified with a reduced cost, and excellent cleanability can be also obtained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a water supply device and a water storage tank installed on a door of a refrigerator.

  Conventionally, this type of refrigerator has a configuration in which water in a water tank disposed inside the refrigerator is pumped out by a pump, and water is supplied from an outlet provided through the water supply pipe through which water flows out (refer to, for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional refrigerator, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a water storage tank of the conventional refrigerator.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a refrigerator door 1 is formed by filling a space surrounded by an outer plate 2 and an inner box 3 with a heat insulating material 4. A water storage tank 5 is installed in the upper part of the inner box 3, and is connected to a water feeder 6 installed lower than the water storage tank 5 on the front surface of the door 1 by a water supply pipe 7.

  In the vicinity of the water supply 6, a water supply lever 8 for controlling the outflow / stop of water is provided. In addition, a detachable lid 9 is provided on the top surface of the water storage tank 5, and a seal is provided between the water storage tank 5 and the lid 9 so that the stored water does not spill due to vibrations such as opening and closing the refrigerator door. The rubber packing 10 is provided.

With the above configuration, the water stored in the water storage tank 5 is supplied from the water supply 6 at a low position through the water supply pipe 7 by operating the water supply lever 8 in the A direction.
JP 2002-115960 A

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the rubber packing 10 provided so that the water in the water storage tank 5 does not leak due to vibrations such as when the door 1 of the refrigerator is opened and closed deteriorates due to secular change or becomes dirty with scale. Or mold breeds. In addition, there is a problem that it is very troublesome to remove and clean.

  Furthermore, when measures such as rubber containing an antifungal agent are taken, there is a problem that the cost is increased.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with a water dispenser having a small number of components, a simple mechanism, low cost, and easy cleaning.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the refrigerator of the present invention includes a water storage tank provided on a shelf inside the door, a water supply provided on the outside of the door, and a water supply pipe connecting the water storage tank and the water supply. In the refrigerator provided, a detachable lid provided with a lock mechanism is provided on the top surface of the water storage tank, and a rib is provided inside the lid over the entire circumference of the opening.

  As a result, even if the water in the water storage tank swings when the refrigerator door is opened and closed, the inside of the lid is blocked by the rib over the entire circumference of the opening, and water does not leak outside the water storage tank.

  The refrigerator of the present invention is provided with a water supply device, which does not leak during use, does not require a rubber packing for preventing water leakage in the water storage tank, has a simple structure, is low in cost, and has excellent cleanability A refrigerator with a refrigerator can be provided.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a refrigerator comprising a water storage tank provided on a shelf inside the door, a water supply provided on the outside of the door, and a water supply pipe connecting the water storage tank and the water supply. A removable lid with a locking mechanism is provided on the top surface of the tank, and a rib is provided around the entire circumference of the opening inside the lid. Even if it swings, it is blocked by a rib that covers the entire circumference of the opening inside the lid, so that water does not leak outside the water storage tank, and there is no need for rubber packing to prevent water leakage in the water storage tank. , Excellent cleaning properties.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, horizontal damping ribs are provided around the entire circumference of the opening of the water storage tank so as to face the ribs extending over the entire circumference of the opening inside the lid. It is provided and it is ensured that water leakage in the water storage tank is prevented.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the second aspect, a guide rib extending upward from a wave-reducing rib provided in the horizontal direction is provided on the entire circumference of the opening of the water storage tank. Water leakage prevention is further ensured.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the damping rib and the guide rib are provided outside the opening of the water storage tank, and the inner surface of the water storage tank has a shape without irregularities, The cleanability in the water storage tank is further improved. Further, since the molding die for the parts can be simplified, the cost can be reduced.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the rib extending over the entire circumference of the opening and the damping rib provided on the entire circumference of the opening of the water storage tank inside the lid. Are integrally formed with the lid and the water storage tank, respectively, so that water leakage in the water storage tank can be prevented more reliably, and the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a water feeder of the refrigerator in the same embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a water storage tank of the refrigerator in the same embodiment. FIG.

  In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the refrigerator main body 11 has a door 12 attached so that the front opening can be freely opened and closed, and the door 12 has a heat insulating material 15 in a space surrounded by an outer plate 13 and a door shelf 14. Filled and formed.

  A water supply 16 is installed on the front surface of the outer plate 13 of the door 12, and a water storage tank 17 is installed on the shelf 14 in the door. A water supply 16 is installed at the height of the front surface of the door 12 facing the water storage tank 17, and the water storage tank 17 and the water supply 16 are connected by a water supply pipe 18.

  A water supply 16 attached to the front surface of the door 12 is operated by operating a water supply lever 8 provided in the vicinity thereof, so that water in the water storage tank 17 is supplied from a water supply 6 at a low position through a water supply pipe 18. Will be.

  A water storage tank 17 is installed above the shelf 14 in the door, a lid 19 is mounted on the top of the water storage tank 17, and a cap 20 detachable by a rotating screw type or the like is installed at the center of the lid 19. Has been. A rib 21 is integrally formed inside the lid 19 over the entire circumference of the opening, and the rib 21 is disposed so as to be in close contact with the inner wall surface of the water storage tank 17. The length of the rib 21 is the length of the outer peripheral flange 19 a of the lid 19. Longer than that.

  Further, when the inside of the water storage tank 17 is cleaned, the lid 19 is removed, and when the drinking water is replenished into the water supply tank 17 during normal use, the cap 20 is removed and the water filling port 22 is removed. A lock mechanism 23 that is slid and locked in the left-right direction is attached to the front surface of the lid 19 so that the water storage tank 17 and the lid 19 can be freely attached and detached.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, the cap 20 is removed from the water storage tank 17 provided in the upper part of the door inner shelf 14 in the refrigerator, and drinking water is added to cool. Even if the water in the water storage tank 17 is swung by vibration when the door of the refrigerator is opened and closed, the lid 19 is provided with ribs 21 over the entire circumference of the opening inside the lid 19, and the ribs 21 are provided in the water storage tank 17. Since the rib 21 is arranged so as to be in close contact with the inner wall surface and the length of the rib 21 is longer than the length of the outer peripheral flange 19a of the lid 19, water in the water storage tank 17 is not spilled.

  When the water supply lever 8 provided in the vicinity of the water supply 16 is pushed, cold water cooled in the refrigerator comes out from the water storage tank 17 through the water supply pipe 18 without opening and closing the refrigerator door. . Further, when the pushing of the water supply lever 8 is stopped, the water stops.

  If the water storage tank 17 becomes contaminated with water stains while it is being used for a long time, the water storage tank 17 is removed from the shelf 14 in the refrigerator door, and the lock mechanism 23 is released from the water storage tank 17 and the lid 19 is removed. By removing and removing the rotating screw type cap 20, it is possible to easily wash every corner and keep it clean.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in the refrigerator having the water storage tank 17 provided on the shelf in the door, the water supply 16 provided on the front surface of the door 12, and the water supply pipe 18 connecting between the water supply tanks. The rubber packing 10 is not used for the seal between the water storage tank 17 and the lid 19, and it can be easily cleaned without being contaminated with scale or mold growing. In addition, it is possible to provide a low-cost refrigerator with a water supply that has a small number of components and a simple mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 3, horizontal damping ribs 24 are integrally formed on the entire periphery of the opening of the water storage tank 17 so as to face the rib 21 over the entire periphery of the opening inside the lid 19. May be. In this case, the length of the sealing surface of the lid 19 and the water storage tank 17 is increased, and it is ensured that water leakage in the water storage tank is prevented when the door is opened and closed.

  Furthermore, guide ribs 25 extending upward from the wave-reducing ribs 24 provided in the horizontal direction may be integrally formed around the entire circumference of the opening of the water storage tank 17. In this case, the sealing surface length of the lid 19 and the water storage tank 17 is further increased, and the water leakage prevention in the water storage tank when the door is opened and closed is further ensured.

  In addition, the rib 21 over the entire periphery of the opening inside the lid 19 and the damping rib 24 provided on the entire periphery of the opening of the water storage tank 17 are formed integrally with the lid 19 and the water storage tank 17, respectively. In addition, it is possible to further prevent water leakage from the inside, and to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the water storage tank of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 4, the outer surface of the water storage tank 17 is integrally formed with a horizontal wave-reducing rib 26 over the entire circumference of the opening, and further provided with a guide rib 27 extending upward from the wave-reducing rib 26. The shape has no irregularities.

  With the above configuration, the inner surface of the water storage tank 17 has a flat shape without irregularities, so that the cleanability in the water storage tank 17 is further improved. Moreover, since the wave-reducing rib 26 and the guide rib 27 fitted to the rib 21 are not touched by water at normal times, it is hard to get dirty and the hygiene can be improved.

  As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention has a simple water supply mechanism, has a small number of components, is low in cost, is easy to clean, and can be provided with a cheap water supply refrigerator. It can also be used for purposes such as vessels.

The perspective view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Sectional drawing of the principal part of the water supply of the refrigerator in the same embodiment Sectional drawing of the principal part of the water storage tank of the refrigerator in the same embodiment Sectional drawing of the principal part of the water feeder of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of this invention Perspective view of a conventional refrigerator Sectional view of the main part of the water storage tank of the conventional refrigerator

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Refrigerator body 12 Door 14 Shelf in door 16 Water supply 17 Water storage tank 18 Water supply pipe 19 Lid 21 Rib 23 Lock mechanism 24, 26 Damping rib 25, 27 Guide rib

Claims (5)

  In a refrigerator comprising a water storage tank provided on a shelf inside the door, a water supply provided outside the door, and a water supply pipe connecting the water storage tank and the water supply, a lock mechanism is provided on the top surface of the water storage tank. A refrigerator comprising: a removable lid provided; and a rib extending over the entire periphery of the opening inside the lid.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein horizontal damping ribs are provided on the entire circumference of the opening of the water storage tank so as to face the ribs extending over the entire circumference of the opening inside the lid.   The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a guide rib extending upward from a wave-reducing rib provided in a horizontal direction is provided on the entire circumference of the opening of the water storage tank.   The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the damping rib and the guide rib are provided outside the opening of the water storage tank, and the inner surface of the water storage tank has a shape with no irregularities.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a rib over the entire circumference of the opening and a wave-damping rib provided on the entire circumference of the opening of the water storage tank are integrally formed with the lid and the water storage tank, respectively.

Images