KR102473297B1 - A cap for ice extracting duct, a module thereof and a refrigerator having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a duct cap that opens and closes an end of an ice ejection duct that communicates with an ice bucket to maintain a cooling state, a duct module installed with the duct cap, and a refrigerator with the duct module installed on a door, wherein the manufacturing error of the insulation material A duct cap structure in which a cap cover capable of supporting the back side of the gasket is further installed at the same height as the side surface of the cap member regardless of the back, a duct module in which the duct cap is installed, and a refrigerator in which the duct module is installed in the door are provided. .

Description

Ice extraction duct cap, its module, and a refrigerator in which the module is installed

The present invention relates to an ice extraction duct cap, and more particularly, a duct cap that opens and closes an end of an ice extraction duct that needs to communicate with an ice bucket to maintain a cooling state, a duct module in which the duct cap is installed, and the duct module It is about a refrigerator installed in the door.

Recently, the use of a refrigerator having an ice outlet through which a user can easily take out ice is increasing. In general, an ice dispensing port is installed on a door, which is located on a shelf where a cup or container can be placed, and when a user presses a button, ice is poured out through the ice dispensing port and placed in a cup or container placed on the shelf.

The ice outlet is an end of a duct installed obliquely so that ice can slide out. However, since the inner space of the duct communicates with the ice bucket, which is a space for storing ice, the inner space of the duct must also be maintained in a frozen state.

Therefore, a duct cap with insulation performance is installed at the end of the duct, which is the ice outlet. Normally, the duct cap seals the end of the duct by blocking it, and when the user presses the ice outlet button, the duct cap opens and ice flows through the ice outlet. When the ice extraction is completed, the duct cap closes again to operate.

Since the duct cap not only seals the opening at the end of the duct but also needs to be opened to prevent cold air from escaping, the surface of the duct cap and the end around the opening of the duct must be in close contact with the duct cap in a state where the ice outlet is closed, and the duct cap Inside, an insulating material having an area covering at least the cross-sectional area of the duct must be embedded.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional duct cap, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly structure of the duct cap of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing a situation in which a defect occurs in the duct cap of FIG.

As shown, the duct cap includes a cap member 80 constituting the overall appearance of the duct cap, an insulator 90 accommodated in a space provided inside the cap member 80, and a combination of the surface of the insulator 90 and the cap member 80. A gasket 60 placed on the end surface of the side portion 81, and a cover member covered from the side of the gasket 60 to the side portion 81 of the gasket 60 and the cap member 80 and a portion of the rear surface of the cap member (70). Since the cap member 80 is made of a relatively hard synthetic resin and the cover member 70 is made of a soft material such as rubber, it is not difficult to cover the cap member 80 with the cover member 70. .

The cover member 70 made of rubber is in close contact with the end face of the opening where ice is taken out to block air flow, and the gasket 60 is a foam material and is configured to give a margin against deformation, and is configured to provide a margin against deformation from the back of the cover member. Insulation is performed while increasing adhesion between the cover member and the end face of the opening, and similarly, the insulator 90 also insulates behind the gasket.

The gasket 60 is made of an elastic and flexible material, and is supported by the surface of the heat insulating material 90 and the end surface of the side surface 81 of the tab member 80, as shown in FIG. 2, and the cover member 70 ) is covered and fixed. Meanwhile, the insulator 90 is generally made of a Styrofoam material such as EPS. However, since these insulator materials are quite soft, there is a limit to adjusting the dimensional accuracy, and even when a small force is applied from the outside, they are easily pressed and deformed. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the height of the insulator 90 is deformed for reasons such as an error in comparison with the design height or a decrease in height due to a pressing force, so that the heat insulator 90 accommodated in the cap member 80 and the cap member When a step occurs between the side parts 81, the end of the gasket 60 spanning the relatively narrow end of the side part is folded or rolled into the space caused by the above-mentioned step, as shown in FIG. this happens

Since the gasket 60 cannot support the cover member 70 in a state where the gasket 60 is not supported in its proper position and is sunk inward, a gap is generated because the end portion of the duct is not completely pressed by the gasket. When such a gap occurs, various problems occur, such as melting ice stored in the space communicating with the duct, increasing electricity consumption due to leakage of cold air in the storage space, or condensation in a portion where cold air leaks.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a duct cap structure capable of sealing the duct well by maintaining the designed predetermined position without problems such as the gasket being rolled into the cap member. .

Another object of the present invention is to provide a duct cap structure with excellent thermal insulation effect.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a duct cap structure in which manufacturing tolerances and assembly tolerances can be easily controlled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a duct cap structure that is easy to assemble.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a duct module including the above-described duct cap and a refrigerator in which the duct module is installed on a door.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a duct cap structure in which a cap cover capable of supporting the back surface of a gasket at the same height as the side surface of the cap member is further installed regardless of manufacturing errors of the insulator.

More specifically, the present invention defines the overall appearance of the duct cap, the cap member is provided with a receiving space inside and the surface facing the opening of the duct is open; an insulator accommodated in the accommodating space of the cap member; a cap cover covering an open surface of the cap member facing the duct; a gasket provided on the cover member and having one side facing the cap cover and the other side facing the opening of the duct; and a cover member covering at least an edge portion of the gasket and at least a side surface of the cap member, so that the back surface of the gasket is supported by the cap cover regardless of the height dimensional tolerance of the insulator.

The cap cover may have a thickness thinner than the thickness of the side portion of the cap member. In addition, one or more cutouts may be provided on the cover surface of the cap cover. Since the cap cover is located closer to the opening of the duct than the insulator, if the thickness of the cap cover is thinned or the cross-sectional area of the cap cover where heat conduction is reduced by making a cutout, the amount of cold air directly passing through the cap cover is conducted toward the side of the cap member. It can reduce the thermal insulation effect.

In addition, if the material of the cap cover is made of a material having a higher hardness than the heat insulating material, it is easier to manage the size of the cap cover, so that the difficulty of managing the size caused by the heat insulating material can be more easily solved.

The cap cover has a cover surface covering the open surface of the cap member and a fitting protrusion protruding from the cover surface toward the cap member. Since the fitting protrusion comes into contact with the inside of the side surface of the cap member to regulate the position of the cap cover relative to the cap member, assembly of the cap cover inserted into the cap member is easier and assembly tolerance can be further reduced.

Here, if a hook is provided on either side of the side portion of the cap member and on one of the fitting protrusions, and a hooking groove for engaging the hook is provided on the other side, in addition to the operation of fitting the cap cover to the cap member, the cap member and the cap cover are separately It is easier to assemble as the fixing process can be omitted.

Since the cap cover is fitted inside the side part of the cap member, it is possible to manage the overall height of the duct cap as the height of the side part, so that the size management is convenient. In addition, if a step is provided on the inside of the end of the side portion of the cap member and the cap cover is assembled by placing the cap cover on the step, the insertion depth of the cap cover can be easily regulated, which makes assembly convenient, and the end surface of the side portion and the cap cover are easily regulated. It is easy to match the height of the cover surface of the cover.

Meanwhile, as an alternative to this structure, the edge of the cap cover may be placed on the side surface of the cap member. According to this structure, since the gasket is fully supported by the cover surface of the cap cover, the trouble of strictly managing the tolerance to match the height of the end surface of the side part and the cover surface of the cap cover can be avoided.

In addition, a concave portion is provided at an edge of the cap cover, and a convex portion provided at a position corresponding to the concave portion and fitted to the concave portion of the cap cover is provided at an end portion of a side surface of the cap member, so that the cap cover is capped. It is possible to accurately position and fix the cap cover and the cap member even when the cap cover and the cap member are coupled by placing them on the end of the side portion of the member.

In addition, the present invention is provided with a cap member having a space for accommodating a heat insulating material therein and having an open surface facing the duct, but accommodating the heat insulating material in the receiving space through the open surface of the cap member, and at the end of the duct In a duct cap in which a gasket directly or indirectly in contact with is supported by an end face of a side portion of the cap member and a surface of the heat insulating material accommodated in the accommodation space, on the open surface of the cap member, in a state where the heat insulating material is accommodated in the accommodation space By covering at least a portion of the open surface, the cap cover replaces at least a portion of the surface of the insulator and configures the support surface of the gasket, so that the gasket is attached to the cap cover even if the dimensional error of the insulator is large. to be properly supported.

The cap cover forms the support surface of the gasket together with the end surface of the side surface of the cap member, or constitutes the support surface of the gasket in place of at least a portion of the end surface of the side surface of the cap member, thereby protecting the back surface of the gasket. I can definitely support you.

In addition, the cap cover partially or entirely covers the portion between the side surface of the cap member and the heat insulator accommodated in the accommodation space so that the cap cover reliably supports the back surface of the edge of the gasket so that the edge of the gasket is at the end surface of the side surface of the cap member It can be prevented from being separated and being rolled into the cap member.

In addition, the cap cover supports at least the back surface of the portion where the gasket comes in contact with the duct, thereby securely supporting the back surface of the gasket portion that is in contact with the duct and pressurized, thereby maintaining a sealed state between the duct and the duct cap.

In addition, the present invention provides the above-described duct cap, a duct facing the duct cap, a housing provided with the duct and to which the duct cap is movably fixed, and a position where the duct cap closes the opening of the duct and the A duct module including a driving unit providing a driving force to move between opening positions of the duct opening is further provided.

In addition, the present invention further provides a refrigerator including an ice bucket in which the above-described duct module is installed on a door and communicates with the duct.

The above-described duct module can semi-automatically or automatically open and close the duct by using a driving unit, and a refrigerator in which such a module is installed on a door provides considerable convenience to users.

According to the present invention, since the back side of the gasket is reliably supported, adhesion between the end of the duct and the duct cap can be reliably secured.

In addition, the duct cap of the present invention has high insulation efficiency by minimizing the thermal bridge area.

In addition, the duct cap of the present invention is easy to assemble, and it is easy to control dimensions and manage tolerances.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the ice extraction duct is securely sealed and insulated, energy consumption efficiency of the refrigerator as a whole can be increased, and dew condensation can be prevented from occurring near the duct opening.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional duct cap;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the assembly structure of the duct cap of Figure 1;
3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing situations in which defects occur in the duct cap of FIG. 1;
5 is an exploded perspective view of a duct cap as an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly structure of the duct cap of FIG. 5;
7 is a view showing a duct module with a duct cap installed according to an embodiment of the present invention;
8 is a view showing a state in which the duct cap of FIG. 7 is opened;
9 is a view showing a duct module with a duct cap installed according to another embodiment of the present invention, and
10 to 13 are views showing cap cover shapes of a duct cap according to other embodiments of the present invention.

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

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be implemented in various different forms, but only the present embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete and the scope of the invention completely covered by those skilled in the art. It is provided to inform you.

5 is an exploded perspective view of a duct cap as an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly structure of the duct cap of FIG. 5 . 7 is a view showing a duct module with a duct cap installed according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the duct cap of FIG. 7 is opened.

[Assembly structure of duct cap]

The duct cap 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cap member 30 provided with an open surface 35 in a direction toward the duct and provided with a receiving space therein. The accommodation space of the cap member 30 is defined by the upper surface and the side part 31 in the drawing of FIG. 5 . On the upper surface of the cap member in the drawing, the fastening part 37 of the connecting member 14 installed to rotatably connect with the housing 10 of the duct module 1 and the housing 10 can be rotated. A support part 38 is provided in which one end of a spring 17 biasing the duct cap 20 toward the duct 13 in a properly connected state is inserted and supported. In this way, since the upper surface of the cap member (that is, the opposite surface of the surface facing the opening of the duct) in the drawing is blocked and the open surface 35 is formed at the lower part, as described above, the duct is passed through the upper surface of the cap member 30. It is easy to install the cap 20 to the housing 10 of the duct module 1, and the heat insulating material 40 accommodated in the cap member 30 accommodation space directly faces the opening 131 of the duct 10. By doing so, the member with the best insulation performance can shield the opening of the duct as close as possible.

For example, unlike the embodiment of the present invention, if the portion of the cap member 30 facing the opening 131 of the duct 13 is blocked and there is a heat insulating material behind it, the cold air inside the duct is blocked by the heat insulating material before being shielded by the heat insulating material. Since it is conducted to the side surface along the blocking cap member 30 and released to the outside (in other words, external heat is conducted through the outer surface of the side surface of the cap member to the cap member blocking the heat insulating material and transferred to the inside of the duct), the insulation effect is can be lowered

The heat insulating material 40 is inserted and accommodated in the accommodation space of the cap member 30 through the open surface 35 . As an example, the insulator 40 may be made of EPS material. It has been described above that there are limits to accurate numerical values and tolerance control, such as that the insulator is easily contracted under pressure because it is manufactured by a method such as foam molding and has a soft nature.

Therefore, one technical point of the present invention is to install the cap cover 50 on the open surface 35 of the cap member 30 after inserting the insulator 40 into the accommodation space of the cap member 30. If there is no cap cover 50, the central portion of the gasket 60 placed on the open surface 35 in a state where the insulator 40 is accommodated in the cap member 30 is supported by the insulator 40, and the edge of the gasket is cap It will be supported by the end of the side portion 31 of the member 30 (see Fig. 2). However, when the cap cover 50 is installed as in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the central portion of the gasket 60 is supported by the cap cover 50, and the edge of the gasket is a cap member. It is supported by the end of the side part 31 of (30).

Since the cap cover 50 is connected to and installed on the side surface 31 of the cap member 30, the height of the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50 and the end of the side surface 31 of the cap member 30 are matched. very easy to When the cap cover 50 is installed in this way, even if the height of the insulator is different from the height of the side surface of the cap member and a stepped space is generated (see FIG. 3), the side portion 31 of the cap member 30 and the cap cover ( Since the height of the cover surface 51 of 50) is still consistent, the gasket 60 maintains its correct position (see FIG. 6), and the gasket is not rolled into the cap member (see FIG. 4). .

After the gasket 60 is raised while being supported by the side part 31 of the cap member 30 and the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50, the cover member 70 moves from the surface of the gasket 60 to the cap. It covers up to the edge portion of the upper surface of the member 30. Since the cover member 70 is made of a rubber material having good elasticity, it is easily deformed during the above-described assembly process, so assembly is easy, and it comes into direct contact with the opening 131 of the duct 13, so that there is no air leakage. It is possible to seal the opening of In particular, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the gasket 60 is supported by the side surface 31 of the cap member 30 and the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50 without being rolled into the cap member, and is positioned accurately. , it is possible to reliably seal the opening of the duct.

[Structure in which the duct cap is installed on the duct module]

As shown in FIG. 5, the connecting member 14 is fixed to the upper part of the duct cap 20 through the fastening part 37. The connecting member 14 is rotatably fitted into the hinge shaft 12 provided in the housing 10 of the duct module 1. The hinge shaft 12 is located near the opening 131 of the duct 13 installed in the housing 10, and as the connecting member 14 inserted in the hinge shaft 12 rotates with the hinge shaft as the center of rotation, the duct The cap 20 is pivoted between the closed and open positions shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 . At this time, the portion of the cover member 70 of the duct cap 20 directly contacts the opening 131 of the duct 13.

In addition, a pair of torsion springs 17 are installed on the hinge shaft 12 of the housing 10 described above. The coil part of these torsion springs 17 is built on the hinge shaft 12, one end of the two ends of the torsion spring 17 is supported by the housing 10, and the other end is supported by the duct cap 20 ) is supported. The elastic force of the torsion spring 17 is applied in a direction in which the duct cap 20 closes the opening 131 of the duct 13.

The driven part 141 of the connecting member 14 shown in FIG. 5 is connected to a power means such as a motor to receive rotational force. The power means provides power for the duct cap 20 to move in the direction of closing the duct and the direction of opening the duct, and the torsion spring 17 described above further increases the sealing force when the duct cap 20 closes the duct. Provides reinforcing force.

In this way, the duct module 1 in which the duct cap 20 is installed in the housing 10 in which the duct 13 is provided is installed on the door part of the refrigerator, and the duct part of the duct module 1 is an ice bucket in which ice is stored. get in touch with

[Assembly structure of the cap member of the duct cap and the cap cover]

In the above, as an embodiment of the present invention, the overall assembly structure of the duct cap and the installation structure of the duct cap to the duct module have been reviewed. Hereinafter, a fastening structure between the cap member and the cap cover among the configurations of the duct cap will be described in detail.

5 to 8, as an embodiment according to the present invention, a step 33 is formed inside the end of the side portion 31 of the cap member 30 of the duct cap 20. The cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50 can be press-fitted to the step 33, and the cover surface 51 in a state where the cap cover 50 is fitted to the step ?? The height of coincides with the height of the end of the side portion 31. That is, when the depth of the step 33 is matched to the thickness of the cap cover 50, the height of the cover surface 51 and the height of the side portion 31 can be matched. In addition, since the step 33 regulates the insertion depth of the cap cover into the cap member, even if there is an error in the height of the insulator 40 accommodated in the cap member, the cap cover is inserted into the cap member exactly as much as the depth of the step. On the other hand, the cap cover 50 may be made of a material having a higher density and higher strength or hardness than the insulator 40, and such a material can perform more accurate numerical control than the insulator. Accordingly, it is not difficult to make the surface of the cover surface 51 and the surface of the side portion 31 coincide with each other in height.

On the back surface of the cover surface 51, a plurality of insertion protrusions 53 are provided at predetermined intervals along the rim of the cover surface to contact the inner surface of the side portion 31 and extend into the cap member 30. The insertion protrusion 53 comes into contact with the inner surface of the side surface of the cap member and accurately regulates the positional relationship between the cap member and the cap cover.

In addition, the hook 32 protrudes from the inner surface of the side portion 31, and a locking groove 531 is provided at a position corresponding to this in the insertion protrusion 53. The passing direction of the hook 32 is the direction in which the insertion protrusion 53 enters the cap member, and the engaging direction of the hook is provided in the direction in which the insertion protrusion 53 exits the cap member. Therefore, the fastening of the hook and the locking groove is easily performed only by inserting the insertion protrusion 53 into the cap member, and once they are fastened, they do not fall out.

According to the coupling structure of the cap member and the cap cover shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, by controlling the height of the cap member and the cap cover and the height of the stepped portion of the cap member, the support surface on which the gasket is placed can be accurately prepared. do. In addition, since the cap cover is not involved in the overall height of the duct cap, difficulty in controlling the height of the duct cap does not arise even when the cap cover is added.

9 is a view showing a duct module in which a duct cap according to another embodiment of the present invention is installed. 9 shows a fastening structure between the cap member 30 and the cap cover 50 as another embodiment according to the present invention.

When compared with FIG. 6, the difference is that the cap member 30 of the embodiment shown in FIG. there is When the edge of the cap cover 50 is placed on the cap member 30 in this way, the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50 serves as a support surface for the gasket 60 as a whole, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 above. Similarly, the support surface of the gasket 60 can be accurately provided without the need to form the stepped 33 and match the height of the side end of the cap member 30 and the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50.

10 shows a fastening structure between a cap member and a cap cover according to another embodiment of the present invention. 10 shows a plan view thereof.

When compared with FIG. 9 , a concave 55 having a part cut out is provided at the edge of the cover surface of the cap cover 50 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 as shown in FIG. 9 (a). In addition, the convex portion 312 is provided on the end surface of the side portion of the cap member 30 at a position corresponding to the position of the above-described concave portion. When the cap cover 50 is installed on the open surface 35 of the cap member 30 having such a structure, the concave portion 55 and the convex portion 312 are fitted into each other as shown in FIG. The cap member 30 and the cap cover 50 are fastened to each other.

According to this structure, when compared with FIG. 9, even if the hook 33 and the insertion protrusion 53 are not applied, the position of the cap member 30 and the cap cover 50 can be regulated and fastened with a simple structure. . Of course, the structure of the hook 33 and the insertion protrusion 53 may be additionally applied.

[Structure of cap cover]

As mentioned above, since the cap cover is made of a synthetic resin material having higher strength than the insulator, the dimensional accuracy can be more precisely controlled. However, it is preferable that the cap cover 50, particularly the cover surface 51, be made as thin as possible. This is not just about saving materials, but also related to insulation efficiency. That is, the cap cover 50 may be made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the heat insulator 40. If the cap cover 50 is thick, heat dissipates the member of the cap cover before the heat is blocked by the insulator. The amount of riding and conduction may increase.

Therefore, in the present invention, the cap cover 50 suffices if it has sufficient strength to support the gasket under the applied pressure to seal the opening of the duct. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the thickness of the cap cover 50 is made thinner than the thickness of the side portion 31 of the cap member 30 .

The cap cover is required to support the gasket supported by the cap cover so that it does not get rolled into the cap member, and to reliably support the back surface of the gasket portion that comes into contact with the end rim portion of the duct. It is necessary to prevent the lowering of the effect.

11 to 13 are views showing cap cover shapes of a duct cap according to other embodiments of the present invention. In the figure, the dotted line indicates the vicinity of the boundary between the side surface of the cap member and the insulator inserted into the cap member when the cover surface is coupled to the cap member. In addition, a dotted-dashed line portion in the drawing is a view showing a portion where the gasket placed on the cover surface meets the edge of the duct.

11 shows a structure in which a cutout 511 is formed at the center of the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50 . When the cutout is provided in this way, the cross-sectional area of the cover surface is reduced, and thus the amount of heat conduction can be further reduced. When the cover surface is coupled to the cap member, the vicinity of the boundary between the side surface of the cap member and the insulator inserted into the cap member (G) and the portion 131 where the gasket placed on the cover surface meets the rim of the duct are avoided. are located in one location. Therefore, even with the cutout portion, the cap cover can support the gasket supported by the cap cover so that it does not get rolled into the cap member, and can reliably support the back surface of the gasket portion that comes into contact with the edge portion of the duct.

12, there is a structure in which a cutout 511 is formed not only in the center of the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50, but also in the vicinity of the boundary between the side surface of the cap member and the insulator (G) and the edge portion 131 of the duct. is shown The cutout does not have to be a single large shape, and as shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of cutouts may be provided in a small size as needed. In addition, the shape of the cutout can be changed to various shapes such as circular, elliptical, rectangular, and slit shapes as needed.

13 shows the central portion of the cover surface 51 of the cap cover 50, the vicinity of the boundary between the side surface of the cap member and the heat insulating material (G) and the edge portion 131 of the duct, as well as the vicinity of the boundary between the side surface of the cap member and the heat insulating material ( G) also shows a structure in which some cutout parts 511 are formed. The reason why the cover surface 51 covers the boundary portion G between the side surface of the cap member and the insulator is to prevent the gasket from being rolled into the cap member. However, even if a cutout is provided in a section near the boundary between the side surface of the cap member and the insulator (G), the gasket can still be prevented from being rolled into the cap member as shown in FIG. 13 . That is, even when the cap cover completely covers the portion between the side surface of the cap member and the insulator, as well as partially, the gasket can be prevented from being rolled into the cap member.

This point can be similarly applied to the back side of the portion where the gasket comes into contact with the duct. That is, even on the cover surface of the cap cover that comes into contact with the rear surface of the portion where the gasket comes into contact with the duct, a portion of the cutout portion may be provided within a range that does not impede the adhesion of the gasket.

That is, according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, not only when the cap cover constitutes the support surface of the gasket instead of the entire surface of the insulator, but also as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the cap cover Instead of the entire surface of the insulating material, the support surface of the gasket may be constituted.

In addition, according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the cap cover can constitute the support surface of the gasket together with the end surface of the side portion of the cap member, and as shown in FIG. 9, the cap cover of the cap member The support surface of the gasket may be formed instead of the entire end surface of the side portion, or as shown in FIG. 10, the support surface of the gasket may be formed instead of a part of the end surface of the side portion of the cap member.

[Operation of duct cap]

The operation of the duct cap will be described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 7 , in the duct module 1 normally installed on the refrigerator door, the duct cap 20 keeps the opening 131 of the duct 13 blocked. This state is maintained together by the driving means such as an electric motor and the urging force of the torsion spring 17. As described above, in a state in which the duct cap is sealed, the cold air in the ice bucket communicating with the duct does not leak and exists in an adiabatic state.

When the user presses the button to take out the ice, the power of the driving means overcomes the urging force of the torsion spring 17 and is transmitted to the connecting member 14, and the connecting member 14 is connected to the hinge shaft of the housing 10 ( 12) as the center of rotation, and the duct cap 20 slightly away from the center of rotation rotates around the hinge axis to maintain the state shown in FIG. 8 . While the user presses the ice ejection button, the ice stored in the ice bucket is taken out by the ejection means in the ice bucket and discharged through the duct 13 .

When the user releases the button after sufficiently dispensing the ice, the dispensing unit in the ice bucket stops operating, and the driving unit operates in reverse, so that the duct cap 20 moves to the state shown in FIG. 7 again. do.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings illustrated, but the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, and various modifications are made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is obvious that variations can be made. In addition, although the operation and effect according to the configuration of the present invention have not been explicitly described and described while describing the embodiments of the present invention above, it is natural that the effects predictable by the corresponding configuration should also be recognized.

1: Duct module
10: housing
12: hinge axis
13: duct
131: opening
14: connecting member
141: driven part
17: spring
20: duct cap
30,80: cap member
31,81: side part
312: convex portion
32: hook
33: step
35: open side
37: fastening part (for connecting member)
38: support (for spring)
40,90: insulation
50: cap cover
51: cover surface
511: cutout
53: fitting protrusion
531: catch groove
55: recess
60: gasket
70: cover member

Claims (17)

As a duct cap that shields or opens the opening of the duct,
The duct cap is:
a cap member defining the overall appearance of the duct cap, provided with an accommodation space therein, and having an open surface facing the opening of the duct;
an insulator accommodated in the accommodating space of the cap member;
a cap cover covering an open surface of the cap member facing the duct;
a gasket provided on the cap cover, one side facing the cap cover and the other side facing the opening of the duct, and having an edge portion supported by the cap cover; and
A duct cap comprising: a cover member covering at least an edge portion of the gasket and at least a side surface of the cap member.
The method of claim 1,
The cap cover is a duct cap having a thickness thinner than that of the side portion of the cap member.
The method of claim 1,
A duct cap provided with one or more cutouts on the cover surface of the cap cover.
The method of claim 1,
The cap cover is a duct cap made of a material having a higher hardness than the insulator.
The method of claim 1,
The cap cover has a cover surface covering the open surface of the cap member, and a fitting protrusion protruding from the cover surface toward the cap member,
The fitting protrusion is in contact with the inside of the side surface of the cap member to regulate the position of the cap cover with respect to the cap member.
In claim 5.
A duct cap wherein a hook is provided on one side of the inner side portion of the cap member and the fitting protrusion, and a hooking groove is provided on the other side.
The method of claim 1,
The cap cover is fitted into the side portion of the cap member duct cap.
The method of claim 7,
A step is provided inside the end of the side portion of the cap member, and the cap cover is placed on the step.
The method of claim 1,
A duct cap in which an edge of the cap cover is placed on a side portion of the cap member.
The method of claim 9,
A concave portion is provided at a portion of an edge of the cap cover, and a convex portion fitted to the concave portion of the cap cover is provided at an end portion of a side portion of the cap member.
A cap member having a space for accommodating the insulator inside and having an open side facing the duct is provided, the insulator is accommodated in the accommodating space through the open surface of the cap member, and directly or indirectly with the end of the duct. In the duct cap in which the gasket in contact is supported by the end surface of the side portion of the cap member and the surface of the insulating material accommodated in the accommodation space,
A cap cover covering at least a part of the open surface in a state in which the heat insulator is accommodated in the accommodation space is applied to the open surface of the cap member, and the cap cover supports the edge portion of the gasket, so that the cap cover covers the heat insulator. A duct cap, characterized in that it constitutes a support surface of the gasket in place of at least a portion of the surface.
The method of claim 11,
The cap cover constitutes a support surface of the gasket together with an end surface of the side portion of the cap member.
The method of claim 11,
The cap cover constitutes a support surface of the gasket in place of at least a portion of an end surface of the side portion of the cap member.
The method of claim 11,
The cap cover partially or entirely covers a portion between the side surface of the cap member and the heat insulating material accommodated in the accommodation space.
The method of claim 11,
The cap cover is a duct cap covering at least a back surface of a portion where the gasket contacts the duct.
The duct cap of any one of claims 1 to 15,
A duct facing the duct cap,
A housing to which the duct cap is movably fixed, and
The duct module includes a driving unit providing a driving force to move the duct cap between a position of closing the opening of the duct and a position of opening the opening of the duct.
The duct module of claim 16 is installed on the door,
A refrigerator comprising an ice bucket communicating with the duct.

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