KR100745717B1 - A refrigerator having coffee-maker - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator with a coffee maker is provided to form a coffee maker at a front surface of a door, wherein an operation time of a heater for preheating coffee cups or preparing hot water is controlled by manipulating a timer, thereby helping users to make coffee conveniently. A refrigerator includes a door(15) having an indent part(21) formed by partially indenting the door inward. A coffee case(32) is provided at a side of the indent part and stores coffee powder supplied via an inlet. A keeping drawer(34) receives coffee cups, to which water is supplied from a water tank(35) positioned at a side of the indent part. Heating elements(H1,H2) heats the water supplied from the water supply part to a water inlet(27) via a water supply pipe(37) and the cups kept in the keeping drawer.

Description

A refrigerator having coffee-maker}

1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to the prior art.

2 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a refrigerator having a coffee maker according to the present invention.

3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the main part of the embodiment shown in Fig.

FIGS. 4A through 4F are operation states showing a process of making coffee according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. FIG.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

11: Body 13: Freezer door

13H: door handle 15: refrigerator door

15H: door handle 17: dispenser

20: coffee maker 21: depression

23: control section 25: supply port

27: Water supply port 29:

29A: seat groove 31: first seat space

32: Coffee storage reservoir 32S: Storage space

34H: handle groove 33: second seat space

34: Storage drawer 34A: Storage groove

34H: handle groove 35: water tank

37: water pipe H1: first heater

H2: Second heater C: Coffee cup

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a coffee maker capable of making coffee on one side of a door.

1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to the prior art.

As shown therein, the refrigerator body 1 is provided with a freezing chamber door 3 and a refrigerating chamber door 5, respectively. The freezer compartment door 3 and the refrigerator compartment door 5 selectively open and close a freezer compartment (not shown) and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) provided in the main body 1, And the other end is rotatably installed forward and backward. The freezer compartment door 3 and the refrigerator compartment door 5 are provided with door handles 3H and 5H, respectively, which are held by a user to rotate them.

On the other hand, a dispenser (7) is provided on one side of the front surface of the freezing chamber door (3). The dispenser 7 is for taking out water or ice from the outside without opening the freezing chamber door 3. [ The main body 1 is provided with a water tank (not shown) for storing water taken out through the dispenser 7 and an ice maker (not shown) for producing ice.

However, the conventional refrigerator has the following problems.

Recently, more and more people are drinking coffee instead of breakfast. However, as described above, conventionally, it is possible to take out water or ice from the outside by the dispenser 7, but there is a disadvantage in that it can not satisfy the various needs of the consumer since the function of raising the coffee is not imposed .

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] The present invention provides a refrigerator including a coffee maker configured to add various functions.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coffee machine comprising a recess formed in a portion of a door by being recessed therein, and a coffee reservoir for storing coffee supplied through a supply port provided at one side of the recess, A storage drawer for storing cups containing water to be supplied through the supply port and a water supply port provided at one side of the depression, and a water supply device for heating the water supplied through the water supply port, And heating means for preheating the cup to be stored.

Wherein the coffee storage box is installed in a receiving space formed in the front of the door corresponding to the upper portion of the depression so as to be drawable in a drawer form and the feeding hole is provided at one side of the ceiling of the depression corresponding to the lower portion of the coffee storage container do.

And the storage drawer is installed in a drawer space in a seating space formed on the front of the door corresponding to the lower portion of the depression.

And the heating means is operated only for a predetermined time.

The heating means comprises a first heater for heating the water supplied through the water supply port and a second heater for preheating the cup stored in the storage drawer.

And a remainder pedestal which is installed on the bottom surface of the depression so as to be removable from the front and rear of the door and on which the cup is placed.

According to the present invention, coffee is also made to be able to be taken out in addition to taking out water or ice, thereby being able to satisfy various needs of consumers.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a refrigerator including a coffee maker according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a refrigerator provided with a coffee maker according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a main part of the embodiment shown in FIG.

A freezing compartment door 13 and a refrigerating compartment door 15 are provided to selectively open and close a freezing compartment (not shown) and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) provided in the refrigerator body 11. The freezing chamber door (13) and the refrigerating chamber door (15) are rotatably installed at opposite ends of the main body (11) with respect to one end thereof. Door handles 13H and 15H are provided on one side of the front surface of the freezing chamber door 13 and the refrigerating chamber door 15, respectively. The door handles 13H and 15H are parts for the user to hold the freezer compartment door 13 and the refrigerator compartment door 15 by hand.

A dispenser (17) is provided on the front surface of the freezing chamber door (13). The dispenser 17 is adapted to allow water or ice to be taken from the outside without opening the freezing chamber door 13. [ Although not shown, the main body 11 is provided with a water tank for storing water to be taken out through the dispenser 17 and an ice maker for manufacturing the water tank.

On the other hand, a coffee maker 20 is installed on the front side of the refrigerator door 15. The coffee maker 20 is designed to allow a user to easily make and drink coffee. The coffee maker 20 is installed in a depression 21 formed by a part of the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 15 being embedded therein. The depressed portion 21 is formed in a hexahedron shape having a substantially open front face.

A control unit 23 is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 15, which is located above the depression 21. The control unit 23 includes a plurality of buttons. The control unit 23 controls the on / off operation of a supply valve (not shown) for supplying powdered coffee and a water supply valve (not shown) for supplying hot water or a first and a second heater H1 (H2). ≪ / RTI >

As shown in FIG. 3, a supply port 25 and a water supply port 27 are provided on the ceiling of the depression 21. The supply port 25 and the water supply port 27 are places where powder coffee and hot water are supplied, respectively. The supply port 25 and the water supply port 27 are opened and closed by a supply valve and a water supply valve operated by the operation of the control unit 23, respectively.

On the bottom surface of the depressed portion 21, a residual pedestal 29 is provided. The reservoir bed 29 is formed in a rectangular plate shape and is installed in front and rear of the refrigerator compartment door 15 on the bottom surface of the depression 21 in a state where a coffee cup is seated on the upper surface thereof. For this purpose, for example, guide rails may be formed on the lower ends of both side surfaces of the depressed portion 21 in the fore and aft direction, and guide ribs may be provided at both side ends of the remainder pedestal 29 for slidingly inserted into the guide rails .

A seating groove 29A is formed on the upper surface of the remainder pedestal 29. The seating groove 29A prevents the coffee cup from moving arbitrarily in a state where the coffee cup is seated on the upper surface of the remaining cup 29. The coffee cup is seated substantially in the seating groove 29A. The seating groove 29A is formed by a part of the upper surface of the remaining pedestal 29 being depressed downwardly corresponding to the lower shape of the coffee cup.

3, seating spaces 31 and 33 are respectively formed on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber door 15 corresponding to the upper and lower portions of the depressed portion 21, respectively. The seating spaces 31 and 33 are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a front portion of the refrigerator compartment door 15 is recessed into the interior of the refrigerator compartment door 15 like the depression 21. Hereinafter, a portion above the depression 21 in the seating spaces 31 and 33 will be referred to as a first seating space 31 and a portion under the depression 21 will be referred to as a second seating space 33 It is called.

A coffee storage container 32 is installed in the first seating space 31. A predetermined storage space 32S is formed in the coffee storage container 32. [ In the storage space 32S, powdered coffee or powdered coffee, prim and sugar are mixed and stored. The coffee storage tube (32) is installed in a drawable manner in the first seating space (31). On the front surface of the coffee storage container 32, there is formed a handle groove 34H which is held by a user when handing over.

A storage drawer (34) is installed in the second seating space (33). The storage drawer 34 is where the coffee cup preheated by the second heater H2 described below is stored. In the interior of the storage drawer (34), a storage groove (34A) in which at least one coffee cup is seated is formed. The storage groove 34A may be formed in a hopper shape corresponding to the shape of the coffee cup. Also, the front side of the storage drawer (34) is formed with a handle groove (34H) that the user holds by hand when putting in and out.

A water tank 35 is provided on the back surface of the refrigerating chamber door 15. Water supplied to the water tank 35 through the water supply port 27 is stored in the water tank 35. The water tank 35 may be detachably installed on the back surface of the refrigerator compartment door 15.

A water supply pipe (37) is provided to transfer the water stored in the water tank (35) to the water supply port (27). The water supply pipe (37) is installed through the refrigerator compartment door (15). A first heater (H1) is provided in the refrigerating chamber door (15) adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the water supply pipe (37). The first heater H1 serves to heat the water supplied to the water supply port 27 through the water supply pipe 37.

A second heater (H2) is provided in the refrigerating chamber door (15) adjacent to the second seating space (33). The second heater H2 serves to preheat the coffee cup stored in the storage groove 34H in a state where the storage drawer 34 is seated in the second seating groove 29A.

The operation times of the first and second heaters H1 and H2 may be set by the operation of the control unit 23. [ For example, if the user operates the control unit 23 in consideration of the rising time or the like and sets the operation time of the first and second heaters H1 and H2 to 7 o'clock every morning, 2 The heater (H1) (H2) will operate at 7 o'clock every morning.

Hereinafter, a process of making coffee according to a preferred embodiment of a refrigerator having a coffee maker according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4A to 4F are operational diagrams illustrating a process of making coffee according to a preferred embodiment of a refrigerator having a coffee maker according to the present invention.

4A, the storage drawer 34 is taken out of the first seating space 31 to take out the stored coffee cup C, and the storage drawer 34 is placed in the first seating space 31, . 4b, the remaining cup 29 is pulled toward the front of the refrigerator compartment door 15 and drawn out to the outside of the recessed portion 21, (C).

Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the remaining cup 29 on which the coffee cup C is seated is pushed into the rear of the refrigerator compartment door 15 and stored in the recess 21. When the user operates the control unit 23 in this state, the supply port 25 and the water supply port 27 are opened by the supply valve and the water supply valve, respectively. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4D, powdered coffee is supplied to the coffee beans C through the supply port 25, and hot water is supplied through the water supply port 27.

4E, the residual cup 29 is pulled toward the front of the refrigerator compartment door 15 and is discharged to the outside of the depression 21, as shown in FIG. 4E, Withdraw. Then, as shown in FIG. 4F, the coffee beans C are taken out and mixed with the powdered coffee and the hot water to produce coffee.

On the other hand, the user can operate the control unit 23 to set the operation time of the first and second heaters H1 and H2. When the operating time of the first and second heaters H1 and H2 is set as described above, the user can make coffee immediately without waiting for the water to be heated to make the coffee.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. will be.

In the illustrated embodiment, water supplied through the water supply port is stored in a separate water tank provided on the back surface of the refrigerator compartment door, but is not limited thereto. For example, the water delivered from the water tank through which the water taken out to the outside is stored through the dispenser may be supplied through the water supply port.

Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the heater for hot water and the heater for preheating the coffee cup are separately provided, but they may be configured to be performed by one heater. In such a case, the distance between the storage drawer and the heater will be determined in consideration of the amount of heat generated by the heater.

According to the refrigerator provided with the coffee maker according to the present invention, the coffee maker capable of making coffee can be provided on the front surface of the refrigerator door, so that the user can easily make coffee. Especially, since the operation time of the heater for preheating the hot water and the coffee mug for making coffee can be operated by the timer, the user can make coffee more conveniently.

Claims (6)

A depression formed by a part of the door being recessed, A coffee storage container for storing coffee supplied through a supply port provided at one side of the depression, A storage drawer for storing cups containing water fed through the supply port and coffee water supplied through the water supply port provided at one side of the depression, And a heating means for heating the water supplied through the water supply port and preheating the cup stored in the storage drawer. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the coffee storage box is installed in a drawer-like manner in a seating space formed on a front surface of the door corresponding to an upper portion of the depression, Wherein the supply port is provided at one side of the ceiling of the depression corresponding to the lower side of the coffee storage container. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Wherein the storage drawer is installed in a drawer-like manner in a seating space formed on a front surface of the door corresponding to a lower portion of the depressed portion. The method of claim 3, Wherein the heating means is operated only for a predetermined period of time. 5. The method of claim 4, The heating means, A first heater for heating the water supplied through the water supply port, And a second heater for preheating the cup stored in the storage drawer. 6. The method of claim 5, Wherein the coffee maker further comprises a cup holder installed on the bottom surface of the depression so as to be received in front of and behind the door and on which a cup is placed.

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