KR101751050B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispenser structure of a refrigerator, in which a dispenser body part is movable in a front-rear direction, and a space for accommodating a container is provided only when a dispenser body moves and a water or ice dispensing command is input. Therefore, there is an effect that the dispenser structure is not exposed to the outside normally.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance for storing foods at a low temperature.

In detail, the refrigerator uses a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, so that cool air generated by the evaporator is supplied to a space for food storage.

The refrigerator can be divided into a top mount type, a side by side type, and a bottom freezer type according to the positions of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber. The top mount type is a type in which the freezing compartment is located on the upper side of the refrigerating compartment, the side by side type is the type in which the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment are located on the left and right sides, and the bottom freezing type is the type in which the freezing compartment is located below the refrigerating compartment.

Recently, a refrigerator having a dispenser structure capable of extracting water or ice without opening a refrigerator door has been introduced in addition to a home bar door structure that can draw or store food without opening the refrigerator door.

Such a dispenser structure is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator door, and most of the structure is recessed to a predetermined depth backward of the door. Therefore, there has been a problem that the rear surface of the refrigerator provided with the dispenser is protruded to reduce the internal volume.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can reduce the thickness of the rear surface of a refrigerator door by increasing the dispenser structure and thereby increase the internal volume.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which can minimize the depth of the dispenser and thereby enhance the appearance of the refrigerator.

In addition, when the dispenser is not used, the refrigerator is substantially the same as or slightly recessed from the front surface of the refrigerator door, and is selectively depressed only when the dispenser is used.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a main body having a storage space therein; A door selectively opening and closing the storage space; And a dispenser assembly provided on the door, the dispenser assembly allowing water or ice to be taken out, wherein the dispenser assembly defines a container accommodating portion for accommodating a container for receiving water or ice, And the wall of the dispenser assembly defining the container receiving portion is formed to be movable backward.

According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the water or ice is not taken out, the dispenser body is kept substantially flush with the front surface of the refrigerator door, . Therefore, when the user looks at the front of the refrigerator, it is possible to obtain an effect that the dispenser appears to be kept hidden.

In addition, when water or ice is not taken out, the tray remains in the state of being drawn into the dispenser housing, thereby preventing the accumulation of foreign matter on the tray.

In addition, since the display unit is displayed only when a command for extracting water or ice is input, there is an advantage that the front surface of the refrigerator door can be neatly designed.

The depth of the depression for receiving the container in the dispenser according to the embodiment of the present invention is smaller than the depth of the depression for accommodating the container formed in the conventional dispenser so that the portion projecting to the rear surface of the refrigerator door becomes smaller, The effect of widening the volume is obtained.

1 is an external perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig.
3 and 4 are front perspective views of a dispenser assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a rear perspective view of the dispenser assembly;
Figure 6 is an incisional perspective view taken along II of Figure 4;
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig.
8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG.
9 is a sectional view showing a state in which a moving tray constituting a tray is taken out according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a front view of a dispenser assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
11 is a perspective view showing an operation state of the dispenser assembly;
12 is a perspective view showing an operation state of a dispenser assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
13 and 14 are perspective views showing an operation state of a dispenser assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

Hereinafter, a dispenser structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is an external perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 11 having a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment door 12 selectively opening and closing the refrigerator compartment, And a freezing chamber door (13) for opening and closing the freezing chamber door (13).

In detail, the refrigerator compartment door 12 may be a pivotable door pivoting about a vertical axis, and the freezer compartment door 13 may be a drawer type door slidingly moved in the front-rear direction.

Meanwhile, a dispenser assembly 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 12. Here, it is noted that the dispenser assembly 20 can be installed in a refrigerator door or a freezer compartment door in a side-by-side type refrigerator.

2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 2, the dispenser assembly 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be mounted on a front surface of a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment door.

In detail, a depression for receiving the dispenser assembly 20 is formed in the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment door. A display 14 may be provided on the side of the dispenser assembly 20. In this embodiment, a display is provided in which information on the temperature of the water, the internal temperature, and the like is displayed on the front surface of the door only when the dispenser assembly 20 is operated for water or ice extraction. That is, when no dispenser is used, no indication is displayed on the front of the door, and the information is activated and displayed outside as soon as a water or ice extraction command is input. As a display method, a fade in / out type display method in which light gradually disappears gradually after being gradually illuminated can be applied.

The dispenser assembly 20 includes a dispenser housing 21, a dispenser head 23 mounted on the inner side of the dispenser housing 21, and a dispenser housing 23 extending from the lower end of the dispenser head 23 to the dispenser housing 21, And a tray 26 which is interposed between the lower end of the dispenser body 22 and the lower end of the dispenser housing 21 and is capable of being pulled out from the front and back. The dispenser body 22 may be provided with an ice extraction button 25. In this embodiment, the ice extraction button 25 is formed long in the vertical direction in the substantially central portion of the dispenser body 22 But is not limited thereto. The dispenser body 22 is slidable in the forward and backward directions according to the operation of the ice extraction button 25. [

The dispenser housing 21 has a front opening and a surface passing through the front edge portion may form a substantially same surface as the front surface of the door on which the dispenser assembly 20 is mounted.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the dispenser assembly 20 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

 FIGS. 3 and 4 are front perspective views of a dispenser assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the dispenser assembly.

3 to 5, a dispenser assembly 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dispenser housing 21, a dispenser body 22, a dispenser head 23, and a tray (not shown) 26).

In detail, a control unit 27 for controlling the operation of the dispenser assembly 20 may be mounted on the rear surface of the dispenser head 23.

The dispenser housing 21 may be provided with a first driving part 28 for moving the dispenser body 22 in the forward and backward directions. The dispenser housing 21 may be mounted on the bottom of the dispenser housing 21 with a second driving unit 29 for moving the tray 26 in the forward and backward directions.

A water outlet 211 is formed on the upper surface of the upper surface of the dispenser housing 21 so that water is discharged from a water faucet (not shown) placed in the upper chamber of the water outlet 211 when the water takeout button 24 is pressed. Can be taken out.

In addition, the dispenser body 22 is spaced rearward from the dispenser head 23 by a predetermined distance, thereby facilitating the extraction of ice. In other words, the lower end of the dispenser head 23 and the upper end of the dispenser body 22 are stepped by a predetermined length in the forward and backward directions, and the discharge port of the ice chute 251 can be positioned at the stepped portion. In this embodiment, it is shown that the front surface of the dispenser body 22 is positioned behind the front surface of the dispenser head 23, but it is not limited thereto. For example, in a state in which no ice extraction command is input, the front surface of the dispenser head 23, the front surface of the dispenser body 22, and the front surface of the door are flush with each other, When the blowout command is input, the dispenser body 22 may be retracted to expose the ice chute 251 to the outside. Although not shown, a discharge duct for discharging ice is formed in the door, and an outlet-side end of the discharge duct communicates with an inlet-side end of the ice chute. The ice maker and the ice bin in which the ice produced by the ice maker is stored may be mounted on the rear surface or the floor of the door. The structure of the ice maker, ice bin, and discharge duct may be a structure applied to a conventional refrigerator.

The tray 26 includes a fixed tray 261 fixed to the inside of the dispenser housing 21, a moving tray 262 drawn out forward and a slide guide 262 guiding movement of the moving tray 262 263).

Specifically, the slide guide 263 is accommodated in the moving tray 262, and performs the function of supporting and guiding the moving tray 262 so that the moving tray 262 can move horizontally. The slide guide 263 is fixed inside the dispenser housing 21.

The fixing tray 261 is fixed to the upper surface of the slide guide 263 and performs only the upward and downward movements due to the elastic force during the drawing or drawing of the moving tray 262. The structure for operation of the fixed tray 261 will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

Further, when the water or ice ejection command is input, the moving tray 261 is pulled forward, and when water or ice is taken out, the moving tray 261 retreats and is accommodated in the dispenser housing 21. [

The first driving unit 28 is connected to the upper side and / or the lower side of the side surface of the dispenser body 22 so that the dispenser body 22 can move in the vertical direction.

More specifically, the first driving unit 28 includes a driving motor 281, a shaft 283 connected to the rotating shaft of the driving motor 281, and a shaft 283 connected to the shaft 283, And may include a body-rotating pinion 282. The pinion 282 is engaged with a rack 221 formed on a side surface of the dispenser body 22.

The second drive unit 29 may include a drive motor 291, a shaft 293, and a pinion 292, similar to the first drive unit 28. And is engaged with a rack (to be described later) formed on the bottom surface of the moving tray 262. [ The operation of the driving units 28 and 29 may be controlled by the control unit 27.

On the other hand, a switch 30 is connected to the back of the water take-out button 24 and the ice take-out button 25 to generate a water or ice take-out command signal. The switch 30 may be a commonly used microswitch or other types of switches. When the buttons 24 and 25 are pressed, the switch 30 is turned on, and a switch-on signal is transmitted to the control unit so that water or ice can be taken out.

6 is an incision oblique view taken along line I-I of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 6, racks 221 may be formed on both sides of the dispenser body 22 as shown. The pinion 282 is engaged with the rack 221 to allow the dispenser body 22 to slide forward or backward in accordance with the rotational direction of the pinion 282. In detail, the dispenser body 22 is slid rearward, and a space for accommodating the container, that is, a container accommodating portion is formed inside the dispenser housing 21.

In addition, the tray 26 can be pulled out forward only when an ice extraction command is input in accordance with the control program. Alternatively, not only an ice extraction command but also a water extraction command may be drawn forward.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 4, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

7 and 8, the fixed tray 261 is connected to the slide guide 263 and the movable tray 262 is coupled to the fixed tray 261 and the slide guide 263, . The pinion 292 is engaged with a rack 264 formed on the bottom surface of the moving tray 262 so that the moving tray 262 slides forward or backward in accordance with the rotational direction of the pinion 292 . The moving tray 262 can be moved in the forward and backward directions without being shaken by the slide guide 263. [

In addition, the fixed tray 261 is movable in the vertical direction while being connected to the slide guide 263. In detail, a boss-shaped supporter 265 is inserted into the slide guide 263, and an elastic member 267 such as a spring is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the supporter 265. Therefore, the supporter 265 is movable up and down by a predetermined distance by the elastic force of the elastic member 267, so that the fixed tray 261 can move up and down. The supporter 265 may be fixed to the bottom surface of the fixing tray 261 or may be configured such that the supporter 265 is simply inserted into a sleeve or groove formed in the bottom surface of the fixing tray 261 Lt; / RTI > The fixing tray 261 may have a structure in which the rising distance is limited by the lower end of the dispenser body 22. In short, it is sufficient that the fixing tray 261 is mounted in the dispenser housing 21 so as to be movable up and down only.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a moving tray constituting a tray is drawn out according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9, the drive motor 291 of the second drive unit 29 operates when a water or ice take-out command is input by the operation of the water takeout button 24 or the ice takeout button 25. [ Then, the pinion 292 rotates and the moving tray 262 is pulled forward.

In detail, the upper rear end of the moving tray 262 and the front end of the fixing tray 261 may be formed with inclined surfaces 262a and 262b having the same inclination angle, respectively. When the moving tray 262 is completely drawn out, the fixing tray 261 is raised by the restoring force of the elastic member 267. Then, the fixing tray 261 smoothly rises while the inclined surfaces 262a and 262b are in contact with each other. On the contrary, when the movable tray 262 is retracted, the fixed tray 261 smoothly descends due to the contact between the inclined surfaces 262a and 263a. When the movable tray 262 is completely drawn out and the fixed tray 261 is raised, the upper surface of the movable tray 262 and the fixed tray 261 are flush with each other.

With the above-described structure, the dispenser body 22 is maintained in a state in which the dispenser body 22 is moved forward when no water take-out or ice take-out command is inputted. Then, only when the water or ice extraction command is inputted, the dispenser body 22 moves backward to form a space for accommodating the container, and the tray 26 is drawn out. Accordingly, since the dispenser body 22 is substantially flush with the front surface of the refrigerator door or is positioned slightly rearward than the front surface of the refrigerator door, the dispenser is kept hidden from the user's front of the refrigerator Can be obtained. In addition, since the tray 26 is kept in the state of being drawn into the dispenser housing 21, the accumulation of foreign matter on the tray 26 is prevented.

Also, since the depth of the depression for receiving the container in the dispenser according to the embodiment of the present invention is smaller than the depth of the depression for accommodating the container formed in the existing dispenser, the portion protruding to the rear surface of the refrigerator door is reduced, As a result, there is an effect of widening the internal volume.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a dispenser assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an operation state of the dispenser assembly.

10 and 11, a dispenser assembly 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a dispenser housing 21, a dispenser body 22 movable in the front-rear direction inside the dispenser housing 21, And a water take-out button 24 formed on the dispenser body 22. A water outlet 211 is formed on the upper surface of the dispenser housing 211.

Specifically, the present embodiment is characterized in that it is a structure capable of only taking out water through the dispenser assembly 20. Therefore, the entire opening of the dispenser housing 21 is covered by the dispenser body 22, and the water outlet 211 is exposed to the outside by the backward movement of the dispenser body 22, Container acceptance is defined.

12 is a perspective view showing an operation state of a dispenser assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, unlike the second embodiment, only ice can be taken out through the dispenser assembly 20 in this embodiment.

In detail, an ice chute 251 is formed on the upper surface of the dispenser housing 21, and the ice chute 251 is selectively exposed by the movement of the dispenser body 22 in the forward and backward directions. Further, only the ice extraction button 25 is formed in the dispenser body 22. The other structure is the same as the structure disclosed in the previous embodiment, and thus a duplicate description will be omitted.

13 and 14 are perspective views showing an operation state of the dispenser assembly according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

13 and 14, this embodiment is the same as the structure of the dispenser assembly 20 according to the first embodiment. However, the water outlet 211 and the ice chute 251 are all formed on the stepped surface that border the dispenser head 23 and the dispenser body 22, and the operation of the dispenser body 22 There is a difference in how this is done differently.

Specifically, the water outlet 211 is located in front of the ice chute 251, and they are spaced apart from each other.

Fig. 13 is a view showing an operation state when a water takeout command is input. When the user presses the water takeout button 24, the dispenser body 22 moves backward. However, the dispenser body 22 does not completely move backward but moves backward by a distance that only the water outlet 211 is exposed.

FIG. 14 is a view showing an operation state when an ice extraction command is inputted. When the user presses the ice extraction button 25, the dispenser 22 moves to the maximum rear position so that the ice chute 251 is exposed . At this time, the tray 26 may be pulled forward to both the water discharge and the ice discharge, or may be pulled forward only when any one of the operations is performed.

Here, when the dispenser assembly 20 is not used, the front surface of the dispenser head 23 and the dispenser body 22 may be flush with each other. Further, the dispenser head 23, the dispenser body 22, and the front surface of the refrigerator door may all be flush with each other.

Claims (17)

A main body having a storage space therein;
A door selectively opening and closing the storage space; And
And a dispenser assembly provided on the door, the dispenser assembly enabling water or ice extraction,
The dispenser assembly includes:
A dispenser housing having a front opening;
A dispenser body coupled to cover the opening surface of the dispenser housing, the dispenser body being movable in the forward and backward direction according to a water or ice extraction command;
A take-out button provided inside the dispenser housing for inputting a water or ice takeout command;
A take-out part formed in the dispenser housing and through which water or ice is taken out;
A driving unit formed on both sides of the dispenser housing to generate a driving force for moving the dispenser body in the forward and backward directions; And
And a power transmission unit for transmitting the driving force generated by the driving unit to the dispenser body,
The power transmission unit includes:
A rack formed on a side surface of the dispenser body;
A pinion coupled to the rack; And
And a shaft coupled to the pinion and connected to a rotating shaft of the driving unit,
Wherein a space is formed in the inside of the dispenser housing for receiving a container for storing water or ice when the dispenser body is moved backward in response to a water or ice dispensing instruction, the takeout portion is exposed to the outside. The method according to claim 1,
And a display provided on a front surface of the door corresponding to an outer region of the dispenser assembly and exposed to the outside when a water or ice extraction command is input. The method according to claim 1,
The take-
A water takeout button provided inside the dispenser housing for inputting a water takeout command,
And an ice extraction button provided inside the dispenser housing for inputting an ice extraction command,
The dispenser assembly includes:
And a tray provided on the bottom of the dispenser housing. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the tray is movable forward or backward according to an operation of the water take-out button or the ice take-out button. The method of claim 3,
The dispenser assembly includes:
Further comprising a dispenser head provided above the dispenser body,
The water take-out button is formed in the dispenser head,
And the ice extraction button is formed on the dispenser body. 6. The method of claim 5,
And the dispenser body is moved backward by pressing at least the ice extraction button. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein at least a part or all of the front part of the dispenser head, the front part of the dispenser body, and the front part of the door are flush with each other. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the dispenser body is located behind the dispenser head. 6. The method of claim 5,
The take-
Further comprising an ice chute extending to a boundary portion between the dispenser head and the dispenser body. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the dispenser body is retracted to expose the discharge port of the ice chute. 6. The method of claim 5,
A switch which is selectively turned on / off by the operation of the water take-out button and the ice take-out button, and
Further comprising a controller provided within the dispenser housing to receive an on / off signal from the switch and to generate an operating command of the dispenser assembly in accordance with the received signal. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the dispenser housing comprises:
A second driving unit formed on a bottom surface of the dispenser housing for generating a driving force for moving the tray in the forward and backward directions,
And a second power transmission unit for transmitting the driving force generated by the second driving unit to the tray. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the second driving unit includes a motor,
The second power transmission unit includes:
A pinion connected to a rotation axis of the motor,
And a rack formed on the tray and engaged with the pinion. 14. The method of claim 13,
The tray may include:
A fixed tray fixed to the inside of the dispenser housing,
A movable tray formed on the bottom surface of the rack and slidable forward or rearward due to rotation of the pinion;
And a slide guide for guiding movement of the moving tray. 15. The method of claim 14,
A supporter in which one end is accommodated in the slide guide and the other end is in contact with the bottom surface of the fixed tray;
Further comprising an elastic member fitted to an outer circumferential surface of the supporter to allow the movable tray to move up and down. delete delete

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