JPH05133654A - Water storage device for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a water storage device in which a door is conveniently operated at the time of setting a water supply tank for an icemaker in a refrigerator and the setting can be simplified. CONSTITUTION:A refrigerator comprises a water storage tank 21 having a water supply cock, and a water tray 26 having a protrusion for opening/closing the clock. The cock of the tank 21 is opened by engaging the cock of the tank 21 with the protrusion of the tray 26 to guide the water of the tank 21 to the tray 26, and a predetermined quantity of the water measured by the tray 26 is supplied to an icemaking tray. A tray 24 longitudinally slidably supported to place the tank 21 is provided. The tray 24 has a connector to be connected to the tank 21, and a switching auxiliary unit for opening/closing a door 35 by rotating the door 35 by the longitudinal operation. The tray 26 has a guide for vertically moving the tank 21 by the longitudinal operation of the tray 24 to attach or detach the clock to or from the protrusion.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator structure, and more particularly to a refrigerator water storage device in which a water tank and a tray can be slid together.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-13 discloses a refrigerator.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 7473, the refrigerator has a freezer compartment 2, an ice making compartment 3 and a refrigerating compartment 4 provided in this order from the top in a refrigerator body 1 as shown in FIG. In the ice making chamber 3, an ice tray 5 is arranged at the upper part, and an ice storage tray 6 is housed at the lower part so as to be drawn out. Reference numeral 7 denotes an ice removing device for removing the ice generated in the ice tray 5 and dropping it on the ice storage tray 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a water storage device for ice making water, which is arranged at the back of the corner of the refrigerator compartment 4. In the water storage device 8, a water storage tank 10 is provided in a drawer type on a placing shelf 9 above the refrigerating compartment 4, and a water receiver 12 and a measuring container 13 are integrated so as to face a lower rear portion of the water storage tank 10. A water tray 11 is provided. Although not shown in FIG. 7, a door for preventing cold air from escaping is provided in front of the water storage tank 10 so as to be opened and closed by hand.

[0003]

By the way, the conventional ice-making water storage device having a door provided in front of the water storage tank as described above has the following problems. After holding the door open by hand or setting it in the open state, the water tank must be taken out by picking it from the inner part of the narrow corner, which is very difficult to take out. It was Also, when setting the water storage tank, it is required to push a heavy water storage tank of 2 liters capacity into the back of the corner with one or both hands when it is full, and it is difficult to push while holding a heavy object. , It was necessary to close the door.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a water storage tank having a water tap, and a water tray having a projection for opening and closing the water tap. In the refrigerator that feeds the water in the water storage tank to the water tray by opening the water tap with the engagement of the stopper and the projection of the water tray, and supplies a predetermined amount of water measured by this water tray to the ice tray with a pump, A tray, which is slidably supported in the front and rear direction and on which the water storage tank is placed, is provided, and an engaging portion that engages with the water storage tank and an opening and closing auxiliary portion that opens and closes the door by rotating the door by the forward and backward movement. In order to provide a water storage device for a refrigerator, in which the water receiving tray is provided with a guide portion for moving the water storage tank up and down by the forward and backward movement of the tray to attach and detach the water tap and the protrusion. is there.

[0005]

The water storage tank is placed on the tray in an engaging relationship at the engaging portion, and when the tray is pulled out toward the front, the water storage tank is also pulled out. At this time, since the water storage tank is lifted by the guide portion provided on the water receiving tray, the engagement relationship between the water supply tap of the water storage tank and the projection of the water receiving tray is released, and the water supply tap is closed. Furthermore, the door located in front of the water storage tank is opened by the opening / closing assisting unit provided on the tray. Then, the water storage tank may be removed from the tray with the tray being pulled out to the maximum, and the water storage tank may be set by performing the reverse operation to the above.

[0006]

EXAMPLE An example of a water storage device for ice making water in a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. A water storage device for ice making water according to the present invention is shown in FIG.
Like the water storage device 8 for ice making water of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1, the ice making water is stored in the refrigerating chamber 4, and the ice making water is supplied to the ice making chamber 3 above it. In the water storage device for ice making water according to the present invention, the tray and the water storage tank are substantially fixed in the front-rear and left-right directions, and when the tray is pushed in, the faucet of the water storage tank is set on the protrusion of the water tray at the final stage. It has become so. The door opens and closes according to the operation of pushing out the tray. The configuration will be described in detail below.

(1) Description of FIG. 1 The tank is placed on the tray by engaging a concave portion 23 provided at the front portion of the lower surface of the water storage tank 21 with a convex portion 25 provided as an engaging portion provided on the upper surface of the tray 24. Then, when the tray is pushed in, the water storage tank 21 is set at a fixed position on the water pan partition plate 27. At this time, the valve body 31 that opens and closes the opening formed in the cap 30 of the water faucet is pushed up by the protrusion 28 of the water receiving tray 26, and a spring 32 attached to the valve body 31 applies a force in the compression direction to open the opening. Water 22 in the storage tank 21
Is supplied to the water receiving tray 26 until a predetermined water level 29 is reached.
When the water supply instruction is issued after the completion of ice making and ice removal in the ice making room (see FIG. 7), the water pump 33 is activated and a certain amount of water measured by the measuring portion of the water pan passes through the water supply pipe 34. Pumped up to the ice tray. Reference numeral 35 is a door described in FIGS. 3 and 4.

(2) Description of FIG. 2 When the water storage tank 21 and the tray 24 are pulled out from the state shown in FIG. 1, the rear portion of the tank 21 is lifted by the guide portion 38 formed on the water receiving tray 26 to supply water to the tank. Since the engagement relationship between the stopper and the projection 28 of the water tray is released,
The valve body 31 is pressed against the opening of the cap 30 by the action of the spring 32 to close the opening. Therefore, even when the water is full, the water does not spill out of the water storage tank 21.

(3) Description of FIGS. 3 and 4 The water storage tank 21, the tray 24, the water tray 26, the water tray partition plate 27, and the cap 30 are the same as those shown in FIG. 1, but FIGS. 4 shows a protrusion 36 provided on a side portion of the door 35 and a rail portion 37 as an opening / closing assisting portion for opening and closing the door 35 provided on a side portion of the tray 24 for guiding the protrusion. Has been done. FIG. 4 shows that the guide portion 38 provided on the upper surface of the water tray partition plate 27 can be engaged with the recess 39 provided on the lower surface of the tank 21.

(4) Description of FIGS. 5 and 6 FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views showing the vertical movement of the water storage tank in accordance with the tray being pulled out. State (a): The tray 24 has just begun to be pulled out, and the rear portion of the water storage tank 21 moves horizontally from diagonally above along the guide portion 38 of the water pan partition plate 27, and the door 35 also serves as the rail portion of the tray 24. It is pushed up by 37 and moves in the opening direction. State (b) The tray 24 is just pulled out to the front (supported by rails under the tray), and the door 35 is held open to the ceiling. State (c): The water storage tank 21 is about to be taken out with the tray being pulled out to the front, and the water storage tank 21 that has become empty can be easily taken out. If water is supplied to the tank and the tank is placed on the tray 24 and the tray is pushed in, the water tank 21 can be set at a predetermined position by operating in the order of (c) → (b) → (a). ..

[0011]

Since the water storage device for a refrigerator according to the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. There is no need to hold the door open by hand or set it in the open state as in the conventional case, and then take out the water storage tank by picking it from a narrow corner.
The water can be pulled out and the door can be opened by pulling out the tray. At this time, since the rear portion of the water storage tank is lifted by the guide portion provided on the water tray, the engagement relationship between the water tap and the protrusion can be easily released. Also, when setting the water tank, all you have to do is to put the water tank on the tray and push the tray in, so you do not have to push the tray into the back of the corner with one or both hands while holding a heavy water tank that is full. The work to close is also unnecessary and workability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a water storage device for a refrigerator according to the present invention, in which a water storage tank is connected to a water tray.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the water storage tank of FIG. 1 in a state of being detached from the water receiving tray.

3 is a perspective view of the water storage device for ice making water of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the water storage device for ice making water of FIG. 1.

5 is a side view showing the vertical movement of the water storage tank according to the drawn state of the tray of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the operation of taking out the tank with the tray being pulled out to the maximum extent.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a conventional refrigerator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 Water Storage Tank 23 Depression on Lower Surface of Water Storage Tank 24 Tray 25 Projection on Upper Surface of Tray 26 Water Receptor 28 Protrusion of Water Receptor 30 Cap 31 Valve Disc 32 Spring 33 Water Pump 35 Door 36 Door Side Protrusion 37 Opening and Closing Auxiliary part 38 Water catcher guide part 39 Recessed part of lower surface of water storage tank

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A water storage tank having a water tap, and a water tray having a projection for opening and closing the water tap, wherein the water tap is opened by engaging the water tap of the water storage tank and the projection of the water tray. In the refrigerator that guides the water in the water storage tank to the water receiving tray and supplies a predetermined amount of water measured by the water receiving tray to the ice tray with a pump, a tray slidably supported in the front and rear is provided to mount the water receiving tank, The tray is provided with an engaging portion that engages with the water storage tank, and an opening / closing assisting portion that opens and closes the door by rotating the door by a forward / backward movement. A water storage device for a refrigerator, which is provided with a guide portion for moving the water storage tank up and down to attach and detach the water tap and the protrusion.