KR200461420Y1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. A refrigerator according to the present invention includes a main cabinet accommodating a water supply tank; A dispenser portion having a discharge portion having a discharge passage for guiding the extraction of water stored in the water supply tank; It is provided on the take-out flow path, characterized in that it comprises an opening and closing portion for opening and closing the take-out flow path. Accordingly, by combining the opening and closing portion that can open and close the flow passage to the discharge portion to close the discharge flow path when the water is not taken out to prevent contaminants from penetrating into the discharge portion, thereby improving the hygiene of the dispenser portion Can be.

Description

Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR}

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

2 is an exploded perspective view and an enlarged perspective view of a main part according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

3 is an operation cross-sectional view of the opening and closing portion, the weight and the connecting portion according to the first embodiment of the present invention,

4 is an operation cross-sectional view of the opening and closing portion, the weight and the connecting portion according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

1: refrigerator 2: body cabinet

20: dispenser 30: lever

32: ice dispenser lever 34: water dispenser lever

40: blowout unit 42: ice extractor

44: water outlet 46: engaging projection

50: take out flow passage 52: ice take out flow passage

54: water outlet flow path 60: opening and closing part

70: weight 80: rotating part

92: first connection portion 94: second connection portion

96: coupling groove

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More particularly, the present invention relates to a refrigerator having an improved structure so that the extraction unit through which water is taken out can be opened and closed according to use and non-use.

Refrigerators are generally devices that store items stored therein for a long time in a low temperature state using a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator. Recently, the refrigerator is equipped with a dispenser unit to extract ice and water from the outside without opening the refrigerator door to increase user convenience.

The dispenser unit is usually mounted in the refrigerator door. The refrigerator includes an ice making unit that generates ice using water from the outside and a water tank storing water from the outside so that ice and water can be taken out through the dispenser unit. Here, an ice making unit and a water supply tank may be installed in the same refrigerator so as to take out ice and water, or only one of the ice making unit and the water supply tank may be installed.

On the other hand, the dispenser unit is provided with an ice dispenser lever and a water dispenser lever in conjunction with the operation of the dispenser unit to take out the ice and water contained in the refrigerator. In addition, the dispenser unit includes a take-out unit that forms a discharge passage through which ice and water accommodated inside the refrigerator are blown out by the operation of the ice dispenser lever and the water dispenser lever.

However, since the ejection part provided in the conventional dispenser part is always open even when the water is used for extraction or when the water is not used, contaminants in the air penetrate into the open ejection part, thereby causing a sanitary problem.

In addition, since the structure of the blowout part provided in the conventional dispenser part is provided with the structure which is inconvenient to clean, the sanitary problem is increasing.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a dispenser portion having an improved structure so as to prevent contaminants from penetrating into the extraction portion when water is not taken out.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a dispenser having an improved structure so that the discharge part can be cleaned in the same manner as general cleaning and sterilization.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator, comprising: a main body cabinet accommodating a water supply tank; A dispenser unit having a discharge unit having a discharge passage configured to guide the extraction of water stored in the water supply tank; It is provided by the refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises an opening and closing portion for opening and closing the take-out flow path.

Here, it is coupled to the opening and closing portion rotatably, the operation between the closing position of the opening and closing the opening flow path by its own weight around the rotation axis and the opening and closing portion of the opening and closing the opening flow path by the pressure of water. It may further include a weight provided to be.

The opening and closing part is characterized in that it is detachably coupled to the discharge port.

Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings for the dispenser mounted on the side by side of the refrigerator.

Prior to the description, the idea of the present invention may be applied to a dispenser unit mounted in a top mounted freezer (TMF) system and a bottom mounted freezer (BMF) system in addition to a dispenser unit mounted in a side by side method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Let's clarify

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention includes a main cabinet 2 in which a storage compartment 4 is formed, and a dispenser unit 20 capable of taking out ice and water to the outside of the main cabinet 2. ), An opening / closing portion 60 (see FIG. 3) for opening and closing the discharge passage 40 (see FIG. 3) of the dispenser portion 20, and a weight 70 (refer to FIG. 3) rotatably coupled to the opening / closing portion 60. It includes.

The main cabinet 2 forms an exterior of the refrigerator 1 on the outside and a storage chamber 4 on which the articles are stored. A compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), and an evaporator (not shown) are accommodated in the main body cabinet 2 to supply cold air to the storage compartment 4. In addition, the inside of the main cabinet (2) and the ice making unit (not shown) to generate ice by receiving water from an external water supply source (not shown) so that ice and water can be taken out to the dispenser 20 A water tank (not shown) for storing water from the water supply source.

The storage compartment 4 is formed inside the main body cabinet 2, and is a freezer compartment (not shown) in which the article is stored at a temperature below freezing point by an intermediate partition and a refrigerating compartment in which the article is stored at a temperature relatively higher than that of the freezer compartment. Divided into 4). The shelf 6 is arranged in the storage compartment 4 at regular intervals so as to divide the space of the storage compartment 4 into a plurality of spaces. In addition, as an example of the present invention, a storage box 8 in which an article requiring moisture care, such as vegetables, is stored in the lower part of the storage compartment 4. The storage compartment 4 is opened and closed by a door 10 coupled to the main cabinet 2.

The door 10 includes a refrigerator compartment door 12 that opens and closes the refrigerator compartment 4, and a freezer compartment door 14 that opens and closes the freezer compartment. Here, the freezing chamber door 14 is provided with a dispenser unit 20 capable of taking out ice and water from the ice making unit and the water supply tank accommodated in the main body cabinet 2.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dispenser unit 20 includes a lever 30 and a blower unit 40 in which a draw passage 50 for ice and water taken out by the lever 30 is formed. do.

The lever 30 includes an ice dispenser lever 32 which is operable to take out ice from the ice making unit to the outside, and a water dispenser lever 34 which is operated to take out water from the water supply tank to the outside. .

In the ejection portion 40, an ejection flow path 50 through which the ice and water dispenser lever 34 and the water dispenser lever 34 are ejected is formed. Here, the extraction unit 40 includes an ice extraction unit 42 provided adjacent to the ice dispenser lever 32 and a water extraction unit 44 provided adjacent to the water dispenser lever 34. The ice extraction section 42 and the water extraction section 44 are provided with an ice extraction passage 52 and a water extraction passage 54 for guiding the extraction of ice and water, respectively. In the water extraction unit 44, as an example of the present invention, a coupling protrusion 46 coupled to the first connection unit 92 or the second connection unit 94 to be described later is formed.

On the other hand, on the ice extraction flow path 52, the ice extraction flow path cover 55 is disposed for intermittent cold air of the ice making unit. That is, since the ice extraction channel cover 55 is disposed on the ice extraction channel 52, the opening and closing unit 60 for preventing the infiltration of contaminants from the outside becomes unnecessary.

Next, the opening-closing part 60 is provided on the extraction flow path 50, and opens and closes the extraction flow path 50. FIG. As an example of the present invention, the opening and closing unit 60 is provided on the water extraction passage 54 to open and close the water extraction passage 54.

On the other hand, the opening and closing portion 60 is rotatably coupled by the weight 70 and the rotating portion 80. Weight 70 is an example of the present invention, the opening and closing portion 60 by the pressure of the water and the closed position that the opening and closing portion 60 closes the water extraction flow path 54 by its own weight around the rotation axis of the rotating portion 80 ) Is operated between the open positions of opening the water outlet passage 54. The weight 70 preferably has a weight to open and close the outlet flow path 60 by the water, and the opening and closing unit 60 can close the outlet flow path 50 by its own weight when the water is not taken out.

As the first embodiment of the present invention, the opening and closing portion 60 and the weight 70 is detachably coupled to the take-out portion 40 by the first connecting portion 92. Here, the opening and closing portion 60 and the weight 70 is detachably coupled to the water extraction portion 44 by the first connecting portion 92. The first connection portion 92 is provided on the water extraction passage 54 to guide the extraction of water and serves to interconnect the opening and closing portion 60 and the weight 70 with the water extraction portion 44. The first connecting portion 92 is formed with a coupling groove 96 that engages with the engaging projection 46 formed in the above-described water extraction portion 44.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the second connecting portion 94 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is provided on the take-out flow path, can extend the take-out flow path 50 to the outside of the dispenser portion 20 Is provided with a flexible pipe. For example, the second connection portion 94 extends the flow passage 50 to facilitate the extraction of water when water is received in the container 120 larger than the size of the dispenser portion 20. Like the first connector 92 described above, the second connector 94 is provided with an opening and closing portion 60 and a weight 70, one side is detachably coupled to the take-out portion 40.

Here, the opening and closing part 60, the weight 70, the first connection portion 92 and the second connection portion 94 applied to the present invention uses a stainless material. That is, stainless steel is used to prevent corrosion of the opening and closing part 60, the weight 70, the first connector 92, and the second connector 94 by ice and water.

With this configuration, the operation of the dispenser unit 20 according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

First, as the first embodiment of the present invention, the first connection portion 92 provided with the opening and closing portion 60, the weight 70 and the rotating portion 80 on one side is coupled to the water extraction unit 44.

The water dispenser lever 34 is pressurized by the container 120 so that water can be extracted from the water supply tank accommodated in the main cabinet 2. In conjunction with the operation of the water dispenser lever 34, the water stored in the water supply tank flows onto the water outlet passage 54.

Water from the water supply tank flows to the first connection portion 92 connected on the water outlet passage 54 and presses the opening and closing portion 60 that is closing the water outlet passage 54 to open and close the opening portion 60 in the closed position. Rotate to the open position. Then, the extracted water is received in the container 120.

At this time, when the user stops pressurizing the water dispenser lever 34, the flow of water from the water supply tank is stopped. Accordingly, the opening and closing part 60 which opened the water extraction passage 54 by the weight of the weight 70 which is rotatably coupled with the opening and closing portion 60 rotates to close the water extraction passage 54.

On the other hand, as a second embodiment of the present invention, the second connecting portion 94 provided with the opening and closing portion 60, the weight 70 and the rotating portion 80 on one side is coupled to the water extraction unit 44.

In order to receive water in the container 120 larger than the area of the dispenser portion 20, the second connection portion 94 made of a flexible pipe extends to the outside of the dispenser portion 20. Then, the water dispenser lever 34 is pressurized to receive water into the container 120. Here, the extraction of water may be performed by an operation signal of the water supply button when a water supply button (not shown) is provided in addition to the pressurization of the water dispenser lever 34.

The operation process of the opening / closing part 60, the weight 70, and the rotating part 80 provided in the second connection part 94 is performed in the same manner as the operation process of the first connection part 92 described above.

Therefore, by combining the opening and closing portion and the weight to be rotatable, when the water is not taken out of the weight to close the flow path by the weight of the weight to prevent contaminants from penetrating into the outlet, thereby improving the hygiene of the dispenser. .

In addition, the opening and closing portion and the connecting portion provided with the weight can be detachably coupled to the take-out portion to clean the opening and closing portion exposed to the contaminant, it is possible to improve the hygiene of the dispenser.

Here, the opening and closing portion in the above-described embodiment is detachably coupled to the take-out portion can be replaced or removed when cleaning the contamination of the opening and closing portion. In the above-described embodiment, the opening and closing part is connected to the takeout part using the first connection part or the second connection part, but this is only one embodiment of the present invention. .

As described above, according to the present invention, by combining the opening and closing portion and the weight in a rotatable manner, it is possible to prevent the contaminants from penetrating into the extraction portion by closing the discharge passage by the weight of the weight when the water is not taken out. There is provided a refrigerator capable of improving the hygiene of the dispenser unit.

In addition, the opening and closing portion and the connection portion provided with the weight can be detachably combined with the take-out, and when the opening and the weight is exposed to the pollutant can be separated and cleaned, there is provided a refrigerator that can improve the hygiene of the dispenser.

Claims (3)

In the refrigerator, A main cabinet accommodating the water supply tank; A dispenser unit having a discharge unit having a discharge passage configured to guide the extraction of water stored in the water supply tank; An opening and closing portion provided on the take-out flow path and opening and closing the take-out flow path;        It is rotatably coupled to the opening and closing portion, the opening and closing portion of the opening and closing portion to close the take-out flow passage by its own weight around the rotation axis is provided to operate between the open and open position to open the take-out flow passage by the pressure of water Includes weights,  And the opening and closing portion is configured to prevent contaminants from penetrating into the discharge portion when in the closed position. The method of claim 1,        One side of the refrigerator is characterized in that it further comprises a connection portion detachably coupled to the opening and closing portion and the weight is provided. The method of claim 1, The opening and closing portion of the refrigerator, characterized in that detachably coupled to the outlet.

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