KR20070062813A - Dispenser sterilizing/drying water for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser sterilizing and drying water for a refrigerator is provided to control a sterilization and drying time automatically and manually by providing a preset time appropriate for the efficient sterilization and drying. A dispenser sterilizing and drying water for a refrigerator includes a sterilization and drying devices(110,120), a controller(130), an input unit(140), and a display unit(150). The controller controls the sterilization and drying device. The input unit inputs a time for sterilization and drying. The display unit displays the set time. The dispenser is installed on a refrigerator door(100) and a discharging pipe(101) is installed to receive water at a water supplying vessel from outside thereof. And, the dispenser further includes a lever(102) and a water supplying table(103) to form an inside bottom surface of the dispenser.

Description

Sterilizer / Drying Dispenser for Refrigerator {DISPENSER STERILIZING / DRYING WATER FOR REFRIGERATOR}

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a dispenser according to the prior art.

2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a refrigerator with a sterilization / drying dispenser according to the present invention.

3 is an operational block diagram of a sterilization / drying dispenser according to the present invention.

4 is a block diagram of a display unit of the sterilizing / drying dispenser according to the present invention.

<Description of Tavern on Major Parts of Drawing>

110-ultraviolet lamp 120-heater

130-controller 140-input

141-Mode Button 142-Time Setting Button

143-start / end button 150-display

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a dispenser, and more particularly, to supply water that is not contaminated by external factors by providing a sterilizer / drying means to the dispenser.

Generally, a refrigerator is an electronic product that maintains the freshness of a stored food by supplying cold air generated from an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle to a storage compartment for a long time. The freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment are divided into upright or left and right partitions, and have a larger effective content. Various types, such as brothers, are commercially available. In addition, a refrigerator having a dispenser or the like for supplying water in order to meet various demands of consumers is disclosed.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a dispenser according to the prior art. As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerator is a cabinet (1) formed so that the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment is partitioned left and right to store food, and hinged to the front of the cabinet (1) to open and close the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment It is installed in the pair of doors 2a and 2b and the freezer compartment door 2a, and has a water dispenser 12 capable of withdrawing water to the outside, and external water supply such as a faucet through a connection hose A. It is directly connected to the circle.

In addition, a water tank (not shown) for storing the water flowing through the connection hose (A) is installed in the cabinet (1), and the water dispenser (12) receives water in the water tank in the freezing chamber side door (2a). A water supply hose (not shown) for guiding to the side is embedded.

In order to install the water dispenser 12 which performs this function, the front side of the freezer compartment door 2a is equipped with a dispenser case 10 on the enclosure whose front side is open. The dispenser case 10 is made of a plastic injection molding, and a water dispenser 12 is disposed in an inner space. In addition, a control display device for displaying and controlling the temperature of the water discharged from the water dispenser 12 is formed, the water reservoir 16 for temporarily storing the water leaked from the water dispenser 12 or flowed by the user 18 is installed.

However, the conventional water dispenser for refrigerators as described above has a problem that the water purified by the filter is contaminated by external factors (contamination, etc.).

In order to solve the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser capable of ultraviolet sterilization and drying function to prevent the water purified by the filter from being contaminated by external factors.

The present invention for achieving the object as described above is inserted into the refrigerator door outer surface, the refrigerator dispenser comprising a discharge tube for supplying water to the external water supply container, the upper side of the water supply for sterilization Sterilization / drying means installed to radiate ultraviolet rays or discharge warm air for drying, and a control unit for controlling the sterilization / drying means so that the sterilization / drying means radiates ultraviolet rays or discharges warm air. Sterilizer / dry dispenser for refrigerators.

In addition, the sterilization / drying means is characterized in that it comprises an ultraviolet lamp for emitting ultraviolet rays to sterilize the water supply container, and a warmer for discharging heat or warm air to dry the water supply container.

The controller may further control the ultraviolet lamp to emit ultraviolet rays or the heater to discharge heat or warm air for a predetermined time.

The control unit may further include an input unit for inputting a time period during which the ultraviolet lamp or the warm air fan is operated, and a display unit indicating the input time, and the control unit indicates the time input through the input unit to the display unit. It is another feature that the ultraviolet lamp or the hot air fan is operated during the input time.

The input unit may further include a mode button for selecting a water supply state and a sterilization / drying state, a time setting button for setting the time, and a start / end button for starting / ending the execution of the sterilization / drying. It features.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail an embodiment of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments and drawings, and the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the contents described in the claims below.

2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a refrigerator having a sterilizing / drying dispenser according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an operation block diagram of the sterilizing / drying dispenser according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a display portion of the sterilizing / drying dispenser according to the present invention. The configuration diagram.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the present invention is a sterilization / drying means (110, 120), the control unit 130 for controlling the sterilization / drying means (110, 120), an input unit 140 for inputting a set time and And a display unit 150 indicating the set time.

The dispenser for a refrigerator is inserted into the outer side of the refrigerator door 100, and a discharge pipe 101 is installed to receive water from a water supply container (not shown) from the outside, and the water supply container (not shown) is provided. The lever 102 allows water to be supplied from the discharge tube 101 when inserted into the dispenser, and the water container (not shown) when the water container (not shown) is inserted into the dispenser. It includes a drinking fountain 103 forming the inner bottom surface of the dispenser.

The sterilization / drying means (110, 120) is to be installed on the upper side of the water supply vessel (not shown) to radiate ultraviolet rays for sterilization of the water supply vessel (not shown) or to discharge the warm air for drying. The lamp 110 and the warm air fan 120 is included.

Since light such as ultraviolet rays reaches the maximum supply energy per unit area when the incident angle is vertical, sterilization power is maximized at this time. Accordingly, the ultraviolet lamp 110 is installed so as to radiate the ultraviolet rays to the water container (not shown) to emit ultraviolet rays to sterilize the water container (not shown), the vertical of the water container (not shown) It is preferable to be located above. The location for this will typically be an upward direction of the drinking fountain 103. The water container (not shown) should be in contact with the lever 102 in order to receive water from the discharge tube 101, but should push the lever 102 with a constant force. Therefore, the ultraviolet lamp 110 is preferably installed above the water container (not shown) located along the lever 102.

The hot air blower 120 is generally used to remove pollutants generated from the outside by removing moisture and the like, which provide an environment in which microorganisms may live in the water supply container (not shown). Sterilization function by In addition, a position where heat and / or warm air may reach the inside of the water supply container (not shown) is preferable. In general, the position is preferably located above the water supply container (not shown) to be discharged in the upper direction of the water supply tank 103. As described above, the present invention can sterilize / dry the dispenser including the water supply table 103 as well as the water supply container (not shown).

The controller 130 is installed on one side of the dispenser to control the ultraviolet lamp 110 to radiate ultraviolet rays toward the water supply container (not shown) or the hot air fan 120 to discharge heat and / or warm air. The ultraviolet lamp 110 or the warm air fan 120 is controlled for a time set to be suitable for sterilization / drying. In this case, the controller 130 may perform both the function of simultaneously controlling the radiation of the ultraviolet lamp 110 or the discharge of heat and / or hot air of the warm air fan 120 at the same time or one by one.

The input unit 140 inputs a time for the control unit 130 to operate or control the ultraviolet lamp 110 or the warm air fan 120, and is installed at one side of the control unit 130 to provide a mode button 141. ), A start / end button 143, and a time setting button 142.

As shown in Figure 4, the mode button 141 is to switch between the water supply state and the sterilization / dry state, when the water supply state is the initial state, once pressed to switch to the sterilization / dry state, the initial state is the sterilization / dry state In this case, press once to switch to water supply. That is, in each state, the mode button 141 enables switching to another state. The time setting button 142 includes a time increasing button for increasing time and a time decreasing button for decreasing time by inputting a time for sterilization / drying in the sterilization / drying state, and time for free sterilization / drying. Can be adjusted. In addition, the sterilization / drying time may be preset in steps and may be adjusted step by step through the time setting button 142. The start / end button 143 operates the time setting button 142 to set the sterilization / drying time, and then the control unit 130 radiates the ultraviolet lamp 110 or heat of the warm air fan 120 and And / or to control the discharge performance of the warm air. At this time, the control unit 130 not only to perform the radiation of the ultraviolet lamp 110 or the discharge of heat and / or hot air of the hot air fan 120, the start / end button during the sterilization / drying is in progress Press (143) to end sterilization / drying.

The display unit 150 indicates a set time input through the time setting button 142 and displays the remaining time according to the operation of the ultraviolet lamp 110 or the warm air fan 120.

Hereinafter, the operation example of the present invention by the configuration as described above will be described in detail.

First, the sterilization drying dispenser, which is normally set in a water supply state, is switched to a sterilization / dry state by pressing the mode button 141 once. Next, the time setting button 142 is adjusted to set a predetermined sterilization / drying time. At this time, the sterilization / drying time is a time appropriate for sterilization / drying according to the experimental result is set in advance so that the time can be adjusted step by step or the user can set the time arbitrarily. However, for efficient sterilization / drying, it is preferable to use a preset time stepwise. After setting the time, sterilization / drying is performed by pressing the start / end button 143. Usually, after the set time has elapsed, sterilization / drying is automatically terminated. However, if the user does not want any further sterilization / drying, pressing the start / end button 143 again may force the end of the sterilization / drying.

The present invention by the configuration as described above has the effect of preventing the contamination of the purified water by external factors by providing a dispenser capable of ultraviolet sterilization and drying function.

Claims (5)

In the refrigerator dispenser, which is inserted into the outer side of the refrigerator door and includes a discharge tube for supplying water to an external water supply container, Sterilization / drying means installed to emit ultraviolet rays toward the upper side of the drinking fountain for disinfection or to discharge warm air for drying; A sterilizing / drying dispenser for a refrigerator, characterized in that the control unit controls the sterilizing / drying means such that the sterilizing / drying means emits ultraviolet rays or discharges warm air. The method of claim 1, The sterilization / drying means comprises an ultraviolet lamp for emitting ultraviolet rays to sterilize the water container; Sterilizing / drying dispenser for a refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises a hot air for discharging heat or hot air to dry the water container. The method of claim 2, The control unit is a sterilizing / drying dispenser for a refrigerator, characterized in that for controlling the ultraviolet lamp to emit ultraviolet light or the hot air to discharge heat or warm air for a predetermined time. The method according to claim 2 or 3, The control unit may include an input unit for inputting a time for operating the ultraviolet lamp or the warm air fan; By further including a display unit for indicating the input time, the control unit displays the time input through the input unit on the display unit, sterilization for the refrigerator characterized in that for operating the ultraviolet lamp or the hot air fan during the input time. / Dry dispenser. The method of claim 4, wherein The input unit and a mode button for selecting the water supply state and sterilization / dry state, A time setting button for setting the time; Sterilizing / drying dispenser for refrigerator, characterized in that consisting of the start / end button to start / end the performance of the sterilization / drying.

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