KR100705197B1 - Water supply tube of dispenser for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water supply pipe of the dispenser for refrigerators, the water flowing from the external water source flows to the top of the refrigerator door through the inlet pipe, the water flowing into the inlet pipe is at the end of the inlet pipe It is connected and flows while falling from the distribution pipe arranged to reach the bottom from the top of the door, the water falling from the distribution pipe is partially flowed to the first water discharge pipe connected to the upper portion of the distribution pipe to the inner surface of the door The second soil connected to the upper part of the water tank after the water is supplied to the ice maker installed in the water supply, and the water flowing to the end of the distribution pipe is filled with a water tank connected to the end of the distribution pipe and cooled by cold air in the freezer compartment. As it is distributed to the cold water through the water pipe, the inlet pipe, the distribution pipe and the water discharge pipe form a simple structure and minimize interference with other members. It is to increase the space utilization of the refrigerator, as well as to facilitate the installation work.

Refrigerator, dispenser

Description

Water supply pipe of the dispenser for refrigerators {WATER SUPPLY TUBE OF DISPENSER FOR REFRIGERATOR}             

1 and 2 are a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present invention,

3 is a sectional view of the dispenser according to the present invention.

<Description of Major Symbols in Drawing>

10-refrigerator 11-door

12-Freezer 13-Refrigerator

14-Hinge 15-Hinge Shaft

20-Dispenser 21-Ice Dispenser

22-chiller 30-housing

31-Ice Maker 40-Water Tank

50-Water Supply Pipe 51-Inlet Pipe

52-Distribution pipe 53-First water discharge pipe

54-Second Water Jet

The present invention relates to a refrigerator dispenser, and more particularly, to a water supply pipe of a refrigerator dispenser installed in a freezer door of a refrigerator in which a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment are arranged in up / down directions.

In general, a refrigerator is provided with a refrigerator compartment for storing food at a low temperature and a freezer compartment for freezing food at a low temperature, and the refrigerator includes the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment arranged up / down or left / right. It is universal to be formed.

In addition, the refrigerator may be provided with a dispenser on the outer surface of the door of the refrigerator to easily discharge the beverage, such as water refrigerated or frozen in the refrigerator from the outside of the refrigerator.

In addition, the dispenser is generally configured with a cold water to discharge the beverage, such as water cooled in the refrigerator from the outside of the door of the refrigerator, and in recent years to discharge ice frozen water or the like inside the refrigerator from the outside of the refrigerator door There is an increasing trend to install the ice discharger together with the cold water.

Here, the conventional dispenser equipped with the cold water and ice discharger is connected to the water supply pipe from the external water supply through the rear portion of the refrigerator, the water introduced through the water supply pipe is formed in the rear portion of the refrigerator or the lower part of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator Filled with a water tank, the water filled in the water tank supplies the water to the cold water through a water pipe connected to the water tank and the cold water, and supplies water to the ice maker through a water pipe connected to the water tank and the ice maker. It was configured to produce ice in an ice maker and to move the produced ice to the ice ejector to discharge water and ice from a dispenser outside the door.

In this case, a water supply pipe connected to the water tank at the rear of the refrigerator and the cold water machine, and a water supply pipe connected to the ice maker in the water tank, were generally composed of separate parts arranged in the lower and upper portions of the refrigerator. Installation of the array becomes difficult, and there is a problem in that the volume inside the refrigerator is reduced due to the arrangement of the refrigerator in the water supply pipe.

In addition, there has been a case in which a water tank for supplying water to the cold water is conventionally installed inside the door so as to directly connect the cold water to the cold water. However, a water pipe connected to the rear of the refrigerator is branched from the rear of the refrigerator, A water supply pipe is connected to the ice maker, and another water supply pipe is connected to a water tank installed inside the refrigerator door, and problems such as complexity of arrangement of the water supply pipe inside the refrigerator or reduction of the volume inside the refrigerator due to the water supply pipe Still remained.

Therefore, recently, the development of a dispenser having a water tank for supplying water to both the ice maker and the cold water cooler has been made in the door of the refrigerator. Supply pipeline development is underway.

An object of the present invention is to provide a water supply pipe connected to each of the water tank, the ice maker, and the cold water dispenser in the dispenser in which both the water tank, the ice maker, and the cold water machine are installed in the refrigerator door as described above.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a water supply pipe for a refrigerator dispenser in which water in a water tank installed in a freezer compartment door is primarily cooled by cold air in the freezer compartment so that cold water can be supplied only by installing the water tank. Is in.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a smooth supply of water to each component of the dispenser from an external water supply, the dispenser for refrigerators to be able to abolish the additional members such as a pump that is installed separately for the water supply to the dispenser components To provide a water supply pipe.

Still another object of the present invention is to be able to configure the door in which the water tank, the ice maker, the cold water and the water supply pipe are installed as separate parts including the dispenser, to improve the usability of the door, as well as to replace the door It is to provide a water supply pipe of the refrigerator dispenser, which can be installed only in the existing refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water supply pipe of a dispenser for a refrigerator, which facilitates installation and repair of a water supply pipe connected to a water tank, an ice maker, and a cold water machine.

The present invention for achieving the above object is characterized in that the ice machine and the cold water and the water tank is installed on the inner surface of the refrigerator freezer door.

Another feature of the present invention is characterized in that the water tank is attached to the inner surface of the freezer compartment door and is installed such that a part thereof is inserted into the freezer compartment with the closing of the door.

Another feature of the invention is characterized in that the inlet pipe is inserted into the interior of the door at the top of the door.

Another feature of the invention is characterized in that the inlet pipe is inserted into the interior of the door through the hinge shaft of the hinge fastened to the top of one side of the refrigerator and the door.

Another feature of the present invention, the inlet pipe inserted into the interior of the door protrudes to the inside of the door through the inner surface of the door, from the tip of the inlet pipe protruding into the door to the bottom of the door It is characterized in that the distribution pipe is connected to.

Another feature of the invention is characterized in that the first water discharge pipe is installed in the direction of the ice maker installed in the upper portion of the inner surface of the door from the upper portion of the distribution pipe.

Another feature of the invention is characterized in that the second water discharge pipe is connected to the water tank installed in the lower inner side of the door from the lower end of the distribution pipe.

Another feature of the present invention is characterized in that the housing is further provided to cover the ice maker and the water tank installed on the inner surface of the door.

Another feature of the invention is characterized in that the distribution pipe connected to the cold water and ice maker in the water tank, and the first water discharge pipe and the second water discharge pipe is arranged inside the inner housing of the door.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows that the dispenser 20 is installed in the freezer compartment 12 door 11 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the door of the freezer compartment 12 in which the dispenser 20 according to the present invention is installed. (11) is shown open, Figure 3 shows a schematic configuration of the dispenser 20 according to the present invention.

According to the present invention, a water tank 40, an ice maker 31, and a water cooler 22 are installed on an inner surface of a freezer compartment 12 door 11 of the refrigerator 10, and the water tank 40 and an ice maker are provided. 31 and the cold water machine 22 are connected by the water supply pipe 50.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 10 includes a freezer compartment 12 formed at an upper portion thereof, and a freezer compartment 13 formed at an underside of the freezer compartment 12 in an up / down direction. .

The door 11 of the freezing compartment 12 covers the open front surface of the freezing compartment 12 to form a plate shape so as to partition the outside of the freezing compartment 12.

In addition, in this embodiment, the inner surface of the door 11 in which the dispenser 20 is installed consists of one surface of the door 11 facing the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 13 of the refrigerator 10. .

The water tank 40 is formed by joining to form a pair of cylindrical shapes in the lower portion of the inner surface of the door 11 of the freezer compartment 12 so that the hollow cylinders communicate with each other.

In addition, the water tank 40 is installed so that the one end is in contact with the inner surface of the door 11 to protrude in the inner direction of the door (11).

The ice maker 31 cools the water to be supplied for a predetermined time to generate the received water as ice, and drops the generated ice to the lower ice storage container by a user's selective manipulation and self-control. It is formed to be made, and is configured to discharge the ice to the outside of the door 11 through the ice ejector 21 penetrated to reach the outside of the door 11 in the lower portion of the ice reservoir.

The water cooler 22 is installed to include a nozzle on the outside of the door 11 so that the water stored in the water tank 40 flows and is discharged to the outside of the door 11 according to the user's selective operation.

The water supply pipe 50 includes an inlet pipe 51, a distribution pipe 52, a first water discharge pipe 53, and a second water discharge pipe 54.

The inlet pipe 51 is formed in a conventional tubular shape through which the inside is passed so that water is distributed therein, one end of which is connected to a water supply source outside the refrigerator 10, and the other end thereof is the freezing chamber 12. It is inserted into the inside of the door 11 through the upper end of one side of the door (11).

Here, the inlet pipe 51 is a central portion of the hinge shaft 15 inserted into the door 11 of the hinge 14 fastened over the top of one side of the refrigerator 10 and the top of one side of the door 11. It is inserted into the interior of the door 11 through the hollow part.

The distribution pipe 52 is connected to the end of the inlet pipe 51 inserted through the upper hinge shaft 15 of the door 11 to the door shaft in the direction of the hinge shaft 15 of the door 11. 11) is formed to extend from the top to the bottom.

Here, the distribution pipe 52 is connected to the end of the inlet pipe 51 in the interior of the door 11, protrudes inward of the door 11 in the state expressed in the interior of the door 11 Is installed.

In addition, the distribution pipe 52 may be installed to be expressed in the interior of the door 11, as well as may be arranged in the interior of the door 11 of course.

In addition, the end of the distribution pipe 52 extending to reach the bottom of the door 11 is bent at the lower end of the door 11, one side surface of the water tank 40 installed in the lower portion of the door 11 Is in communication with.

The first water discharge pipe 53 is formed by branching a pipe having the same shape as the inlet pipe 51 in the direction of the ice maker 31 at an upper point of the distribution pipe 52.

At this time, the tip of the first water discharge pipe 53 is preferably formed at the outlet of the center of the ice maker 31 so as to uniformly supply water to each ice receiving portion of the ice maker 31.

The second water discharge pipe 54 is formed by connecting a pipe having the same shape as the inlet pipe 51 so as to reach the cold water cooler 22 from the upper end of the water tank 40.

In addition, a housing 30 is formed in a box shape, one surface of which is opened so as to cover both the water tank 40, the ice maker 31, and the cold water machine 22, and the housing 30 includes the door ( 11) The open surface is fixed to the inner surface of the.                     

Here, the distribution pipe 52, the first water discharge pipe 53 and the second water discharge pipe 54 is expressed outside the inner surface of the door 11, the housing 30 by the combination of the housing 30 ) Is accommodated inside.

Next, the operation of the water supply pipe of the refrigerator dispenser according to the present invention configured as described above will be described.

In addition to the operation of the first refrigerator 10, the water of the water source is flowed to the upper one side of the refrigerator 10 through the inlet pipe 51 in accordance with the water supply of the external water source.

Water introduced through the inlet pipe 51 flows to reach the top of the door 11 of the refrigerator 10 by the water pressure of the water supply source, and the water reaching the top of the door 11 is the inlet pipe 51. It is distributed through the distribution pipe 52 connected to the end of the free fall in the downward direction of the door 11 along the shape of the distribution pipe (52).

At this time, the free fall of the water in the distribution pipe 52 generates a potential energy according to the load of the water has a water pressure of a predetermined pressure.

Water in the distribution pipe 52 flows along the shape of the distribution pipe 52, and a part of the distribution pipe 52 is provided through the first water discharge pipe 53 connected to the upper portion of the distribution pipe 52. Water flows.

The water flowing into the first water discharge pipe 53 flows to reach the center of the ice maker 31 along the shape of the first water discharge pipe 53 and is passed through the outlet of the first water discharge pipe 53. Falls to 31.

The water dripped in the ice maker 31 is accommodated for a predetermined time by the control operation of the ice maker 31 and cooled by the cold air of the freezing chamber 12 to form ice.

In addition, the water flowing to the end of the distribution pipe 52 to the water tank 40 is connected to the end of the distribution pipe 52 along the shape of the distribution pipe 52 bent at the lower end of the door (11). Flows.

Water introduced into the water tank 40 is cooled to a predetermined temperature by the cold air of the freezing chamber 12 applied to the water tank 40, and through the inlet pipe 51 and the distribution pipe 52 The water flows to the top of the water tank 40 by the water pressure of the continuously flowing water and the free pressure increased by the free fall in the distribution pipe 52, the water flows to the top of the water tank 40 is the water tank It flows to the cold water machine 22 through the second water discharge pipe 54 connected to reach the cold water machine 22 at (40).

Therefore, the water flowing through the inlet pipe 51 flows to reach the upper part of the door 11 only by the water pressure of the water supply source, and the water flowing to reach the upper part of the door 11 is the distribution pipe. As the free fall along the shape of 52, the water pressure is increased to flow to the water tank 40 and the second discharge pipe.

In addition, water falling from the distribution pipe 52 flows to the first water discharge pipe 53 branched on the distribution pipe 52 to form a water supply to the ice maker 31.

Here, the ice cooled in the ice maker 31 is dropped into the ice storage container installed in the lower part of the ice maker 31 according to the control operation of the ice maker 31 or the user's selective operation, and the ice dropped into the ice storage container is According to a user's selective manipulation of the ice ejector 21, the liquid is discharged and used through an outlet opened to the outside of the door 11.                     

In addition, after the water flowing into the water tank 40 is cooled to a predetermined temperature in the water tank 40, the second water discharge pipe 54 connected to the upper portion of the water tank 40 and the cold water machine ( 22) is discharged to the outside according to the user's optional operation.

In addition, the maintenance of the distribution pipe 52, the first water discharge pipe 53 and the second water discharge pipe 54 is the distribution pipe 52, the first water discharge pipe 53 and the second water discharge pipe ( The housing 30 covering the 54 is separated from the inner surface of the door 11 to expose the distribution pipe 52, the first water discharge pipe 53, and the second water discharge pipe 54. .

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described specific preferred embodiments, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. Of course, such changes are within the scope of the claims.

As described above, according to the present invention, as each component of the dispenser is installed in the door of the refrigerator freezer compartment, there is an effect that the dispenser can be further provided only by the door assembly.

Another effect of the present invention is that as each component of the dispenser is installed in the door, since the components of the dispenser are distributed in each part of the refrigerator, there is an effect of preventing the loss of space of the refrigerator.

Yet another effect of the present invention is that the components of the dispenser and the components of the refrigerator are prevented from interfering with each other, so that the configuration of the refrigerator as well as the dispenser can be simplified.

Another effect of the present invention is that the water tank of the dispenser is cooled by the cold air of the freezer compartment to generate cold water, thereby eliminating the provision of a separate cooling device for generating the cold water.

Another effect of the present invention is to generate a predetermined pressure as the water in the distribution pipe falls to obtain a sufficient water pressure to flow the water to each component of the dispenser, so as to press the separate pump for the flow of the water There is an effect that can eliminate the provision of the device.

Another effect of the present invention is that the maintenance work on the distribution pipe, the first water discharge pipe and the second water discharge pipe becomes easier.

Claims (3)

In the water supply pipe of the refrigerator dispenser is installed in the freezer door of the refrigerator in which the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment are arranged in the vertical direction, In addition to being connected to an external water supply, the tubular inlet pipe inserted into the inside of the door through the upper side of the freezer compartment door; A tubular distribution pipe connected to an end of the inlet pipe and protruding inwardly of the freezing compartment door and arranged to be connected to one end of a water tank installed below the inner surface of the door; A first water discharge pipe branched from an upper portion of the distribution pipe to an upper portion of an ice maker installed at an upper side of an inner surface of the freezer compartment door; A tubular second water discharge pipe connected from the other end of the water tank to a water cooler installed in the front dispenser of the freezer compartment door; Water supply pipe of the refrigerator dispenser, characterized in that consisting of. The method of claim 1, The water supply pipe of the refrigerator dispenser, characterized in that the inlet pipe is inserted into the interior of the door through a hollow formed in the hinge shaft of the upper hinge of the freezer compartment door. The method of claim 1, The inlet pipe is inserted into the top of the freezer compartment door and arranged inside the door, The distribution pipe, the first water discharge pipe and the second water discharge pipe are arranged to be connected to the water tank, the ice maker, and the water cooler in a housing that is covered with a box shape on the inner surface of the door to cover the water tank, the ice maker, and the water cooler. Water supply pipe of the refrigerator dispenser, characterized in that the.

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