KR100839882B1 - Refrigerator having apparatus for cooling can - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator with a can cooler is provided to cool cans at high speed by thermal conduction from ice contacting the cans always and rotation of the cans for carrying out the thermal conduction all over the surfaces of the cans. A refrigerator with a can cooler includes a case(30) communicated with an icemaker(20) to be supplied with ice from the icemaker, a can supporting die(50) fixed to the case and containing cans(100), an ice tray(40) mounted at a lower part of the can supporting die for receiving the ice supplied from the icemaker and supporting the can positioned between the can supporting die and the contained ice by being pressed against the can supporting die, and a driving unit for rotating the can.

Description

Refrigerator with can cooler {Refrigerator having apparatus for cooling can}

1 is a view showing a conventional can rapid device.

Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of a refrigerator with can cooling apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the can cooling device of FIG.

4 is a perspective view showing the can cooling device of FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of a refrigerator with a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention.

6 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a refrigerator provided with a can cooler according to the present invention;

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings>

10 freezer door 20 ice maker

21, 21 ': Ice bin 30, 30': case

32: operation panel 35: heat conduction plate

40: storage container 42: elastic member

43: pedestal 50: can support

51,51 ': Can housing groove 60: Drive device

Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-0081392

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a can cooler. More specifically, the present invention relates to a refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus capable of rapidly cooling cans by using a heat conduction phenomenon generated by contact with ice made by a separate ice maker.

Recently, as the refrigerator becomes larger, a refrigerator having an ice maker capable of automatically freezing and storing ice frequently used by a user and taking out ice as needed through a separately provided outlet is proposed. Since the ice maker does not open the refrigerator door, it has an advantage of preventing cold air loss.

Meanwhile, the user puts the canned beverage into the refrigerating chamber, cools it, and drinks it in a cool state. However, in order to cool the can in a cool state, the can needs to be stored in the refrigerating chamber for a long time, so that the user always has to store the can in the refrigerating chamber in advance.

In order to solve this inconvenience, a cooling device for cooling the can more rapidly has been proposed. 1 is a view showing a conventional can rapid apparatus, which is disclosed in Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-0081392 (hereinafter referred to as "prior art").

According to the related art, a roller (2) installed at a bottom of the freezing chamber (4), a motor (3) for rotating the roller (2), and a can positioned on an upper portion of the roller (2) and rotated by the rotation of the roller (2). (1) is provided. This prior art achieves rapid cooling of the can in that it uses a freezer rather than a refrigerating compartment and can evenly cool the can 1 as a whole by rotating the can 1.

However, the prior art uses the cold air flowing in the freezer compartment and uses a heat transfer phenomenon due to convection between the cold and the cans, which does not shorten the cooling time significantly. Therefore, there is a problem that the cold air is lost unnecessarily.

In addition, since the prior art has a structure in which the roller 2 is installed at the bottom of the freezing chamber, a gap exists between the roller and the bottom. Through this gap, the cold air escapes to the outside of the freezer compartment, and as a result, there is a problem that the operating efficiency of the entire refrigerator is reduced.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a can cooling device capable of cooling the can more rapidly through heat conduction with ice made by an ice maker.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a can cooler capable of cooling the can more rapidly by rotating the can so that the entire surface of the can is evenly transferred with ice.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a can cooler that can accommodate and support a can without loss of cold air and can be easily taken out.

In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention includes a case communicating with an ice maker so that ice is supplied from an ice maker of the refrigerator, and a can supporter fixed to the case and accommodating the can on one side. And a storage container installed at a lower portion of the can support to accommodate the ice supplied from the ice maker, a canister pressurized toward the can support to support a can positioned between the can support and the stored ice, and to rotate the can accommodated in the can support. It characterized in that it comprises a drive device.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention, the case is installed in an open state to the outside of the refrigerator door, characterized in that the front surface is opened and closed by the can door.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention, the housing is installed to be movable up and down inside the case, characterized in that the elastic support for the bottom of the case via the elastic member.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention, the storage container is characterized in that the movement to the can support stand side is limited by the locking projection protruding to both sides of the case.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention, the can support is characterized in that it is provided with at least one can receiving groove.

In addition, the refrigerator (d) according to the present invention is characterized in that the distance (d) between the lower surface of the can support and the lower surface of the locking jaw is smaller than the radius (R) of the can.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention, the driving device includes a motor driven by a power source, and a rolling member connected to the motor to rotate and frictionally contact with the side of the can. It is done.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention, the driving device includes a motor driven by a power source, and a rotating cap connected to the motor to rotate and simultaneously receive and fix one end of the can. It features.

In addition, a refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a case having an ice storage container inside an upper portion, a heat conduction plate forming a bottom surface of the ice storage container and accommodating the can on one side thereof, and the heat conductive plate. And a pedestal for pressing and supporting the can accommodated on one side of the heat conduction plate side, and a driving device for rotating the can supported between the heat conduction plate and the pedestal.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus of another embodiment according to the present invention, the heat conducting plate is characterized in that it comprises at least one semi-circular can receiving groove.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus of another embodiment according to the present invention, the pedestal is characterized in that it is elastically supported by an elastic member.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus of another embodiment according to the present invention, the pedestal is characterized in that it has at least one groove on one side to accommodate the can.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the pedestal is characterized in that the movement toward the heat conduction plate is limited by the locking projection protruding from both side surfaces of the case.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, the distance d between the lower surface of the heat conduction plate and the lower surface of the locking projection is smaller than the radius R of the can.

In addition, in the refrigerator having a can cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the driving device includes a motor driven by a power source, and a rotating cap connected to the motor to rotate and simultaneously receive and fix one end of the can. It is characterized by including.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be described in more detail with respect to embodiments of the refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention.

<First Embodiment>

2 is a view showing a first embodiment of a refrigerator having a can cooler according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the can cooler of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the can cooler of FIG. .

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the present invention is a case 30 is in communication with the ice reservoir 21 provided in the freezer door 10 of the refrigerator or the ice maker 20 installed in the freezer compartment, and cans on one side. A can support 50 for accommodating and supporting the 100, a storage container 40 installed inside the case 30 to receive ice, and a can 100 accommodated in the case 30. It includes a drive device for rotating the 60.

Here, the ice maker 20 is a general ice maker recently installed in a refrigerator, and has an ice storage container 21 for storing frozen ice therein. Since the present invention is not related to the ice maker 20 itself, it is characterized by using the ice made by the ice maker 20, and thus, a detailed description of the ice maker 20 will be omitted.

In addition, the case 30 is installed at a position easily accessible by the user to a space accommodating the can cooling apparatus, and is opened and closed through a can door 31 formed in the freezer door 10. The can door 31 is rotatably installed at one edge of the case 30 to open and close the front surface of the case 30. The case 30 has a structure for blocking cold air in the freezer compartment. By this configuration, the user can insert the can 100 into the case 30 without opening the freezer door 10, thereby preventing cold air loss in the freezer compartment.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2, an operation panel 32 for operating the can cooling device is provided at a position adjacent to the case 30 on the outer surface of the freezer compartment door 10. The operation panel 32 is provided with control buttons including an ice supply button 32a for supplying ice and a start button 32b for starting the rotation of the can 100. These control buttons are electrically connected to the central control unit (not shown) of the refrigerator, and the user can control the can cooler using the control buttons.

In addition, the case 30 includes an ice inlet pipe 33 communicating with the ice storage container 21 of the ice maker 20. In addition, the ice inlet pipe 33 is provided with an opening and closing plate 33a for opening and closing the ice inlet pipe 33, as shown in Figure 4, the opening and closing plate 33a is a central control unit (not shown) It is designed to be controlled by. On the other hand, Figure 4 shows that the opening and closing plate (33a) is located at the end of the ice inlet pipe 33, according to the design is located inside the ice reservoir 21 in the ice maker 20, the ice reservoir 21 May have a structure capable of selectively flowing the ice into the ice inlet pipe (33).

Therefore, when the user turns on the ice supply button 32a of the operation panel 32, the central controller controls the opening and closing plate 33a to open the opening and closing plate 33a. As a result, the ice stored in the ice storage container 21 is introduced into the storage container 40 placed in the case 30 through the ice inflow pipe 33. In addition, when the ice supply button 32a is turned off, the inflow of ice through the ice inlet pipe 33 is blocked.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the can support 50 is fixed to the case 30 at an upper portion of the storage container 40, and the can 100 accommodated in the case 30 at one side, that is, at the bottom thereof. Accept and support The can support 50 has at least one semi-circular can receiving groove 51 formed in a central portion for accommodating the can 100. The inner diameter of the can receiving groove 51 is preferably equal to the outer diameter of the can 100 so that the can 100 accommodated in the can receiving groove 51 is supported without moving.

In the first embodiment, two can receiving grooves 51 are provided, but the number of can receiving grooves 51 may be changed according to design. In addition, the can receiving groove 51 is sufficient to act to support the can so as to be fixed from the top, the shape can be changed according to the design.

The storage container 40 located inside the case 30 is a container for receiving the ice introduced through the ice inflow pipe 33. The housing 40 is a separate configuration separate from the case 30, the user can put or remove the housing 40 in the case 30 as needed. In particular, when the ice contained in the storage container 40 melts and water collects in the interior of the storage container 40, the user needs to remove the storage container 40 from the case 30 in order to remove it. On the other hand, when the user inserts and pulls out the storage container 40, the handle 41 is formed on the front surface of the storage container 40 in order to easily grip the storage container 40.

The storage container 40 is installed below the can support 50, and is installed to be movable toward the can support 50. In addition, a pedestal 43 is installed below the storage container 40, and an elastic member 42 is provided below the pedestal 43. Specifically, the housing 40 is elastically supported with respect to the bottom surface of the case 30 by the elastic member 42, the upper end by the elastic force of the elastic member 42, that is, can support 50 The force is pressed to the side. Accordingly, the can 100 accommodated between the can holder 50 and the ice housed in the container 40 is pressed and fixed to the can holder 50. As a result, the can 100 is always in contact with the ice.

Here, the elastic member 42 is sufficient as long as it has an elastic force for moving the housing 40 to the can support 50 side, for example, a circular spring or a leaf spring may be used.

On the other hand, the movement of the storage container 40 to the can support 50 side is limited by the locking step 34 protruding from both side surfaces of the case (30). When the user presses the pedestal 43 downward, the elastic member 42 is contracted to create a space between the pedestal 43 and the locking jaw 34, and the storage container 40 is accommodated in this space. Therefore, the receiving container 40 is moved to the can support stand 50 located on the upper side receiving the elastic force from the elastic member 42 in the state accommodated in the case 20, the movement is limited by the locking step 34 .

On the other hand, the distance (d) between the flat lower surface of the can support 50 and the lower side of the locking projection 34 is preferably smaller than the radius (R) of the can (100). With such a configuration, when the can 100 is accommodated between the can support 50 and the storage container 40, the storage container 40 is moved below the locking step 34, and the storage container 40 is at this time. ) Is pressed upward by the elastic member 42, the can 100 and the ice is always in contact.

In addition, the can support 50 has an exposed portion 52 formed therethrough so that the accommodated can 100 is partially exposed as shown in FIG. 4. The rotation of the driving device 60 is transmitted to the can 100 through the exposed portion 52. Depending on the design, all portions other than the portions necessary for supporting the can 100 in the can holder 50 may be configured as the exposed portion 52. The can support 50 of the first embodiment has a configuration in which the can 100 is exposed at portions except for portions supporting both ends of the can 100. Due to this configuration, the first embodiment reduces the friction surface between the can 100 and the can support 50 so that the can support 50 does not interfere with the rotation of the can 100 as much as possible.

In addition, the driving device 60 rotates the can 100 by rotating the rolling member 61 in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the can 100 through the exposed portion 52. In the first embodiment, two rolling members 61 are in contact with each can 100 to rotate two cans 100 at the same time, and auxiliary gears are installed on the shaft 61a of the rolling members 61. And a main gear 62 fixed to the drive shaft 62a which is rotated by the motor 64 and engaged with the auxiliary gear 63. Since the can 100 and the rolling member 61 transmit rotation by frictional force with each other, the rolling member 61 uses a material having a high coefficient of friction such as rubber. On the other hand, in the case of rotating one can 100, the rolling member 61 may be directly connected to the drive shaft 62a of the motor 64.

The motor 64 is designed to rotate by being supplied with power by an automatic control device (not shown) when the start button 32b provided in the operation panel 32 described above is turned on. In addition, the automatic control device is designed to cut off the power supply to the motor 64 when the temperature of the can 100 is sensed to be sufficiently cooled, or the motor controller 64 is turned off by the off signal of the start button 32b. It is designed to cut off the power supply.

In this configuration, when the motor 64 is rotated, the rolling member 61 rotates at the same time, and thus the can 100 in contact with the rolling member 61 rotates by the frictional force with the rolling member 61. do. The can 100 may be cooled more quickly because the can 100 contacts the ice contained in the container 40 evenly by rotating.

Hereinafter, the operation of the first embodiment of a refrigerator having a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

First, the user opens the can door 31 and inserts the container 40 between the locking step 34 and the pedestal 43. At this time, since the base 43 is elastically supported by the elastic member 42, the storage container 40 is inserted while pressing the base 43 downward.

After the user turns on the ice supply button of the operation panel 32, the ice is supplied from the ice reservoir 21 of the ice maker 20 through the ice inlet pipe (33). When the supplied ice is accommodated in the container 40, the ice supply button is turned off, and the can 100 is placed between the container 40 and the can receiving groove 51 of the can holder 50. In this case, when the storage container 40 is pressed downward, the storage container 40 moves downward so that a space for accommodating the can 100 is formed between the can holder 50 and the storage container 40. When the can 100 is accommodated, the container 40 is pressurized upward by the elastic member 42 so that the can 100 is supported between the ice of the can holder 50 and the container 40 so that the can 100 Keep contact.

Thereafter, when the can door 31 is touched and the start button of the operation panel 32 is turned on, the motor 64 is operated, and the can 100 rotates accordingly. In this case, since the ice and the can 100 are in direct contact with each other, heat is transmitted by conduction with ice, unlike the prior art, and the can 100 is cooled more rapidly since the whole is uniformly cooled by the rotation of the can 100. do.

Second Embodiment

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of a refrigerator with a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a refrigerator with a can cooling apparatus according to the present invention. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

5 and 6, the second embodiment of the present invention forms a case 30 ′ and a bottom surface of the ice storage container 21 ′ of the ice maker 20 while accommodating the can 100 on one side. ), A pedestal 43 for pressing and supporting the can 100 accommodated on one side of the heat conductive plate 35 toward the heat conductive plate 35 side, and a driving device 60 for rotating the can 100. .

The second embodiment does not separately include a housing 40 for storing ice in the case 30 ', and the ice made by the ice maker 20 is stored on one side of the case 30', specifically, the upper portion thereof. It differs from the above-described first embodiment in that the ice storage container 21 'is formed. That is, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the space can be saved by directly using the ice storage container 21 'of the ice maker 20, which is located directly under the ice maker 20, and also the storage container 40 and the ice inflow pipe The structure is simplified as a whole by removing the structure of (33).

Referring to FIG. 5, the second embodiment has a configuration in which the ice storage container 21 'is located at an inner upper portion of the case 30', but the case 30 'contacts the ice storage container 21'. By using heat transfer with the ice, the case 30 'may be in contact with the other side of the ice storage container 21'. Hereinafter, the ice storage container 21 'will be described on the basis of the configuration of the upper portion of the case 30'.

The case 30 'of the second embodiment is partitioned from the ice reservoir 21' by the bottom of the ice reservoir 21 '. That is, the bottom surface of the ice storage container 21 'becomes the heat conductive plate 35. The heat conduction plate 35 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum in order to increase thermal conductivity with ice.

In addition, the heat conduction plate 35 is provided with at least one can receiving groove 51 ′ for accommodating the can 100 at a central portion thereof. The can accommodating groove 51 ′ has a semicircular shape and can widen a contact area with the can 100 accommodated due to the shape. As a result, the heat transfer between the ice and the can 100 accommodated in the upper portion of the heat conductive plate 35 can be promoted.

At the bottom of the case 30 ′, a pedestal 43 for pressing the can 100 from the bottom to the top, ie, toward the heat conduction plate 35, is installed. The pedestal 43 has the same configuration as the pedestal of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the receiving container 40 is pressed. In the second embodiment, the can 100 is directly in contact with the can 100. Pressurize. By such a configuration, the can 100 may maintain a state of being in close contact with the thermal conductive plate 35.

The pedestal 43 is elastically supported by the elastic member 42 to press the can 100 by the elastic force of the elastic member 42. In addition, on both sides of the case 30, as in the first embodiment, the locking jaw 34 is formed, and the pedestal 43 is restricted to the heat conduction plate 35 by the locking jaw 34. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the distance d between the flat lower surface of the heat conduction plate 35 and the lower surface of the locking projection 34 is preferably smaller than the radius R of the can 100. Do. When the can 100 is accommodated between the heat conduction plate 35 and the pedestal 43 by this configuration, the pedestal 43 is located below the locking jaw 34 and receives the elastic force from the elastic member 42. The can 100 is always pressed upwards. As a result, the heat conductive plate 35 and the can 100 can always be in contact with each other.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the pedestal 43 has a groove 43a on an upper surface to more reliably support the can 100, and the can 100 may be located in the groove 43a. You can do that.

In the second embodiment, the driving device 64 for driving the can is located at the rear of the case 30, not at the top, and receives the rear end of the can 100 instead of the rolling member 61 of the first embodiment. It is provided with a rotating cap (65) for fixing. The rotary cap 65 is rotated by a motor 64 that rotates the drive shaft 62a by an external power source. In order to rotate the two cans 100 at the same time two rotary caps (65) for receiving each can 100, the auxiliary gear (63) installed on the shaft (65a) of the rotary cap 65, and The main gear 62 is fixed to the drive shaft 62a which is rotated by the motor 64 and engaged with the auxiliary gear 63. When the motor 64 is rotated by this configuration, the rotary cap 65 rotates at the same time, and thus the can 100 having the rear end fixed to the rotary cap 65 rotates.

Unlike the first embodiment, the second embodiment is less efficient in terms of thermal conductivity because it is not directly in contact with the ice of the ice maker but through the heat conduction plate. However, the second embodiment does not require a separate storage container and an ice inlet pipe. This has an advantage in that the structure is simple.

As mentioned above, although the said Example about this invention was described concretely, this invention is not limited to the said Example and can be variously changed in the range which does not deviate from the technical idea of Claim.

For example, the driving device of the first embodiment may be the driving device of the second embodiment, that is, the driving device using the rotating cap.

As described above, the present invention has an effect of rapidly cooling the can using heat transfer by heat conduction by bringing the can into direct contact with ice.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of preventing the loss of cold air in the freezer because the can can be easily cooled by opening and closing the can door without opening the freezer compartment door.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of rapidly cooling the can by maintaining the contact state between the can and the ice at all times by the elasticity of the elastic member.

In addition, the present invention has the effect that the entire surface of the can is evenly cooled by rotating the can while the can is in contact with ice, thereby rapidly cooling the can.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention has the effect that the can can be rapidly cooled by contacting the can and ice by a heat conductive plate having high thermal conductivity.

Claims (15)

A case in communication with the ice maker to supply ice from the ice maker of the refrigerator, A can support fixed to the case and accommodating the can on one side; A storage container installed at a lower portion of the can support to accommodate ice supplied from an ice maker, and being pressed toward the can support to support a can positioned between the can and the stored ice; It includes a drive device for rotating the can accommodated in the can support, The storage container is installed to be movable up and down inside the case, and is elastically supported by an elastic member with respect to the bottom of the case, and the storage container is moved to the can support side by a locking jaw protruding from both sides of the case. Refrigerator with a can cooler, characterized in that limited. The method of claim 1, The case is installed in the refrigerator door in an open state to the outside, the front surface of the refrigerator having a can cooler, characterized in that the opening and closing by the can door. delete delete The method of claim 1, The can support is a refrigerator with a can cooling device, characterized in that it comprises at least one can receiving groove. The method of claim 5, And a distance (d) between the lower surface of the can support and the lower side of the locking jaw is smaller than the radius R of the can. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5 or 6, The drive device, A motor driven by a power supply, And a rolling member connected to the motor to rotate and frictionally contact the side surface of the can. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5 or 6, The drive device, A motor driven by a power supply, And a rotating cap connected to the motor and rotating at the same time to receive and fix one end of the can. A case having an ice storage container inside the upper portion, A heat conduction plate forming a bottom of the ice container and accommodating a can on one side; A pedestal for pressing and supporting the can accommodated on one side of the heat conductive plate toward the heat conductive plate side; And a drive device for rotating the can supported between the heat conduction plate and the pedestal. The method of claim 9, And the heat conducting plate has at least one semicircular can receiving groove in a central portion thereof. The method of claim 9, The pedestal is a refrigerator provided with a can cooling device, characterized in that the elastic support by the elastic member. The method of claim 11, The pedestal, the refrigerator having a can cooling device, characterized in that it has at least one groove on which one can is accommodated. The method of claim 11, The pedestal is a refrigerator having a can cooler, characterized in that the movement to the heat conduction plate side is limited by the locking projection protruding from both sides of the case. The method of claim 13, And a distance (d) between a lower surface of the heat conduction plate and a lower surface of the locking step is smaller than a radius R of the can. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, The drive device, A motor driven by a power supply, And a rotating cap connected to the motor and rotating at the same time to receive and fix one end of the can.

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