KR20100113192A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A refrigerator is provided to enable the separated ice to be safely guided to an ice bank, in a structure in which an ice making unit is separated from an ice bank. CONSTITUTION: A refrigerator(10) comprises a main body(11), a door(12), an ice making unit, an ice making room(20), and an ice supply unit(21). The body comprises a refrigerating compartment(15) and a freezing compartment(16), which is located under the refrigerating compartment. The door selectively opens and closes the refrigerating compartment. The ice making unit is installed in one side of the refrigerating compartment and comprises a tray for making the ice and a guide member. The guide member is extended from the edge of one side of the tray and guides the movement of the ice separated from the tray. The ice making room is arranged in one side of the refrigerating compartment and accepts an ice making unit. The ice supply unit is installed on the rear side of the door and comprises an ice bank and a dispenser. The ice bank stores the ice separated from the tray. The dispenser is installed on the front side of the door and discharges the ice stored in the ice bank to outside.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance for storing food at a low temperature.

The refrigerator has a structure having any one or both of a refrigerator compartment for storing food at a temperature of about 1 to 3 degrees Celsius and a freezer compartment for freezing and storing below freezing temperature. And, according to the position of the freezer compartment is divided into a top mount method, a side by side method, a bottom freezer method.

In addition, the type of refrigerator is divided according to the position of the ice making assembly to make ice. That is, it is divided into an in-cabinet method in which an ice making assembly is mounted in a refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment, and an in-door method in which an ice making assembly is mounted in a door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment.

Recently, there is a trend to prefer the bottom freezer method in which a refrigerator with a relatively high frequency of use is located above the freezer, and the ice making assembly is placed in the refrigerator compartment so that the user can pull out the ice without lowering the waist. Refrigerator structures are becoming popular.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which a refrigerating compartment is located at an upper side and an ice making assembly is located in the refrigerating compartment with the refrigerating compartment door closed.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which an ice making unit for making ice and an ice bank for storing ice are arranged separately from each other. In detail, it is an object to provide a refrigerator structure in which an ice making unit is mounted inside a refrigerator compartment, and an ice bank is mounted in the refrigerator compartment door.

In order to achieve this purpose, improvements are required in the ice compartment structure in which the ice making unit is exposed to the cold room cold air so as not to reduce the ice making capacity, and the ice guide structure in which the ice made in the ice making unit is safely guided to the ice bank. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of satisfying such a demand.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, the body having a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment defined below the refrigerator compartment; A door for selectively opening and closing the refrigerating compartment; An ice making unit provided at one side of the refrigerating compartment and including a tray for manufacturing ice and a guide member extending to one edge of the tray to guide movement of the ice separated from the tray; An ice making chamber defined at one side of the refrigerator compartment and accommodating the ice making unit; And an ice supply unit provided at a rear side of the door and storing an ice separated from the tray, and an ice supply unit provided at a front side of the door and dispensing the ice stored in the ice bank to the outside. Include.

According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration, in the structure in which the ice making unit and the ice bank are separated and mounted, the iced ice is safely guided to the ice bank.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It is intended that the spirit of the invention include not only the structure presented by each of the one or more embodiments set forth below, but also all of the structures generated by the combination of the embodiments. And the scope of the present invention is not limited to the detailed description or drawings presented, it should be understood that it is limited only by the claims described below.

Meanwhile, a bottom freezer type refrigerator will be presented as an embodiment for implementing the spirit of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention can also be applied to a top mount type or side by side type refrigerator. In other words, the basic premise for the idea of the present invention to be realized is that all or part of the ice making assembly is accommodated in the refrigerating compartment, and any kind of refrigerator can be adopted if this precondition is satisfied.

1 is a front perspective view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator provided with an ice making assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the refrigerator.

1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a refrigerator compartment 15, a main body 11 defining a freezer compartment 16, and a front surface of the main body 11. It is provided on both sides rotatably include a refrigerating compartment door 12 for selectively opening and closing the refrigerating compartment 15, and a freezing compartment door 13 for selectively opening and closing the freezing compartment 16 and sliding in the front-rear direction. In addition, a storage box may be provided on the rear surface of the freezer compartment door 13.

In detail, a machine room 111 is defined inside the main body 11 corresponding to the rear of the freezing compartment 16, and the machine room 111 accommodates components constituting a refrigeration cycle such as a compressor and a condenser. An evaporator 22 is mounted to the rear of the freezing compartment 16, and the cold air duct 18 extends from the space in which the evaporator 22 is accommodated to the upper surface along the rear wall of the main body 11. In addition, a cold air discharge port is formed on the front or side surface of the cold air duct 18. Therefore, the air cooled by the evaporator 22 rises along the cold air duct 18 and is supplied to the freezing compartment 16 and the refrigerating compartment 15.

Meanwhile, the refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 16 are partitioned by a barrier 17 extending horizontally. The cold air duct 18 extends through the barrier 17 to the refrigerating chamber 15. In addition, an ice making duct 19 may be further formed separately from the cold air duct 18, and the ice making duct 19 directly communicates with a space in which the evaporator 22 is accommodated or from the cold air duct 18. It may be provided in a branched form.

In addition, an ice making chamber 20 is formed at an upper edge portion of the refrigerating chamber 15, and an end of the ice making duct 19 is connected to a rear end of the ice making chamber 20. Therefore, the cold air rising along the ice making duct 19 is guided to the ice making chamber 20. The ice making unit 24 may be accommodated in the ice making chamber 20, and an ice making fan 23 may be mounted at a point near the rear end of the ice making chamber 20. Here, a cooling fan is also provided at the outlet side of the space in which the evaporator 22 is accommodated, that is, the portion where the cold air duct 18 starts, and the ice making fan 23 is according to the type of the refrigerator or the shape of the cold air passage. May be optionally mounted. For example, when the ice making duct 19 is branched from the cold air duct 18, the ice making fan 23 may not be separately provided.

In addition, a discharge hole 201 for discharging ice is formed in the front portion of the ice making chamber 20, and the discharge hole 201 may be selectively opened and closed by the cold air adjusting member 205. In this embodiment, the outlet 201 is shown to be formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle, it may be formed horizontally. In addition, a guide member (to be described later) is extended to one side of the ice making unit 24 to allow ice to be passed through the outlet 201 along the guide member. This will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings below.

Meanwhile, an ice supply unit 21 is provided on the rear surface of the refrigerating compartment door 12 to store the ice made by the ice making unit 24 and to discharge the ice to the outside by a user's manipulation.

In detail, the ice supply unit 21 includes a housing 210 containing an ice bank 211 for storing ice therein. In addition, a dispenser 25 capable of receiving ice stored in the ice supply unit 21 is formed on the front surface of the refrigerating compartment door 12. The dispenser 25 is positioned below the ice bank 211 and is recessed to a predetermined depth so that a container receiving the ice is accommodated therein.

In addition, a discharge duct 212 communicating with the outlet 201 of the ice making chamber 20 is formed above the housing 210. In addition, the upper surface of the housing 210 may be formed to be inclined at the same angle as the front portion of the ice making chamber 20 in which the outlet 201 is formed. Then, when the refrigerating compartment door 12 is closed, the inlet of the discharge duct 212 and the outlet 201 will coincide without misalignment. In addition, a separate cold air control member 214 may be provided inside the discharge duct 212 to selectively open and close the discharge duct 212. Here, the two cold air adjusting members 205 and 214 are provided to the outlet 201 and the discharge duct 212, respectively, but only one cold air adjusting member is the inlet of the discharge duct 212 or the outlet ( 201) is not excluded. The outlet of the discharge duct 212 communicates with an upper opening of the ice bank 211. Thus, the ice produced by the ice making unit 24 falls along the discharge duct 212 to the ice bank 211 through an ice removing process.

In addition, a hole for discharging ice is formed at one side of the bottom of the ice bank 211, and an ice chute 215 for guiding ice extraction in the refrigerating compartment door 12 corresponding to the hole. ) Is formed. In addition, the ice chute 215 penetrates the upper surface of the dispenser 25, and a takeout lever 251 for taking out ice may be formed at the rear of the ice chute 215. In addition, a cold air control member 216 may be provided inside the ice chute 215 to selectively discharge ice.

In addition, the ice bank 211 is provided with a conveying means 217 for ice conveying. In detail, the conveying means 217 includes an auger for pressurizing the ice toward the inlet of the ice chute 215, and a crusher for crushing the ice carried by the auger. The crusher may be provided on a single axis of rotation. In addition, the rotating shaft may be connected to a driving motor provided in the refrigerating compartment door 12. The ice bank 211 may be withdrawn from the housing 210, and the rotating shaft may be separated from the driving motor when the ice bank 211 is withdrawn. Here, it is noted that the vertical auger structure shown in US Patent No. 6,082,103 may also be applied to the ice bank 211. In addition, the auger structure in which the rotating shaft is inclined in Korea Patent Publication No. 2008-0052503 may be applicable. In detail, the rotating shaft may be inclined in the up and down or left and right directions while extending in a direction to be replaced with the refrigerating compartment door 12, or may be inclined in the vertical direction while extending in parallel with the refrigerating compartment door 12.

A door may be provided on one side of the housing 210 to separate the ice bank 211, hereinafter referred to as a bank door 213 to distinguish it from the refrigerating compartment door 12 or the freezing compartment door 13. To be defined. The bank door 213 may be rotatably connected to the housing 210, and the bank door 213 may be rotated about a vertical axis or a horizontal axis. The relationship between the rotation of the bank door 213 and the withdrawal of the ice bank 211 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings below.

On the other hand, of the reference numerals described in the following drawings, the same reference numerals for the same reference numerals shown in Figs. 1 and 2 mean the same configuration, duplicate introduction thereof will be omitted.

3 is a partial perspective view schematically illustrating a cold air flow path of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a return hole 112 is formed at one side of a side portion of the main body 11 that defines the refrigerating chamber 15, and a return duct 113 having the return hole 112 as an inlet is provided. It extends into the main body 11. The other end corresponding to the outlet of the return duct 113 may be connected to a space in which the evaporator 22 is accommodated, or may be connected to the freezing compartment 16. In addition, a hole communicating with the return hole 112 is formed at a side surface of the housing 210 constituting the ice supply unit 21, which will be described later.

In detail, the cold air supplied into the ice making chamber 20 through the ice making duct 19 falls to the ice supply unit 21 through the outlet 201 of the ice making chamber 20. In addition, the air dropped to the ice supply unit 21 is returned to the freezing chamber 16 or the evaporator 22 through the return hole 112.

In addition, a part of the cold air supplied to the cold air duct 18 is discharged to the freezing chamber 16, and the other part is discharged to the refrigerating chamber 15. The cold air present in the refrigerating compartment 15 moves to the freezing compartment 16.

Meanwhile, a return passage (not shown) communicating with a space in which the evaporator 22 is accommodated is formed at one rear side of the freezing compartment 15. Therefore, the cold air moving to the freezing chamber 16 returns to the evaporator 22, whereby the cold air continues to circulate inside the refrigerator 10.

Although not shown, a supply hole may be formed at a point spaced apart from the return hole 112, and a supply duct connecting the supply hole and the space in which the evaporator 22 is accommodated may be extended. That is, in addition to the flow path structure for allowing cold air passing through the ice making chamber 20 to be supplied to the ice supply unit 21, air cooled by heat exchange with the evaporator 22 is provided along the supply duct. Note that it is also possible to propose a flow path structure which is directly supplied to 21 and which returns to the evaporator 22 along the return duct 113. And, such a supply duct structure, even if not shown in the separate drawings, those skilled in the art can fully understand and implement, it is revealed that fully supported by the contents of FIG.

4 is a rear perspective view of the refrigerating compartment door provided with an ice supply unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the refrigerating compartment door.

4 and 5, the water supply unit 21 protrudes from the rear surface of the refrigerating compartment door 12, and the inside of the water supply unit 21 has a space in which the ice bank 211 can be accommodated. Is formed.

In detail, the bank door 213 is provided on the front surface of the housing 210 defining the external shape of the water supply unit 21 in a form of pivoting downward on the horizontal axis. As described above, a discharge duct 212 is formed in the housing 210, and an inlet of the discharge duct 212 is formed on an upper surface of the housing 210.

From the figure, when the bank door 213 is rotated about a horizontal axis and the upper end is separated from the housing 210, the bank door 213 can be rotated up to 90 degrees from the vertical plane. Accordingly, when the ice bank 211 is drawn out while the bank door 213 is rotated and opened, the ice bank 211 will be slid out along the upper surface of the bank door 213. Then, since the ice bank 211 is supported by the bank door 213, the user does not need to pull out the ice bank 211 and hold it by hand.

Meanwhile, a return hole 218 is formed at one side of the housing 210, and the return hole 218 communicates with a return hole 112 formed at an inner side surface of the refrigerating chamber 15. That is, one side of the housing 210 in which the feedback hole 218 is formed may be a side facing the side of the refrigerator compartment in which the feedback hole 112 is formed when the refrigerator door 12 is closed. In addition, a plurality of cold air discharge ports 219 communicating with the refrigerating chamber 15 may be formed at the side portion of the housing 210. When the cold air discharge port 219 is formed, a part of the cold air supplied into the housing 210 will be discharged to the refrigerating chamber 15.

6 is an external perspective view of an ice making unit constituting the ice making assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the ice making unit 24 constituting the ice making assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a tray 241 in which water for ice making is stored.

In detail, the tray 241 is divided into a plurality of cells, and water stored in each cell freezes to form one piece of ice. In addition, an upper part of the tray 241 is provided with an ejector 245 including a plurality of pins 245b for separating ice formed in the cell and a shaft 245a for rotating the pins 245b. . In addition, a guide surface 246 is formed on an upper surface of the tray 241 to allow the ice slid by the ejector 245 to slide down, and a guide member 247 is formed at an end of the guide surface 246. ) Is connected. The guide member 247 serves to guide the ice sliding along the guide surface 246 to the outlet 201 of the ice making chamber 20.

In detail, the guide member 247 extends inclined downward from the point where the guide surface 246 ends. The end of the guide member 247 is located close to the outlet 201. In addition, guide ribs 247a may protrude from edges of the upper surface of the guide member 247, respectively. The pair of guide ribs 247a may extend in a direction toward the end of the guide member 247. Specifically, the interval between the ends of the guide ribs 247a may be formed to have a size equal to or smaller than the width of the outlet 201. Then, even when the width of the outlet 201 is narrower than the width of the guide member 247 or the tray 241, all the ice will be guided to the outlet 201.

Meanwhile, a water supply part 244 may be provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the tray 241, and a motor and a cam for driving the ejector 245 may be provided at the other end opposite to the water supply part 244. There is provided a control box 242 that is housed. In addition, a hook member 243 may extend at a side end of the tray 241 corresponding to the opposite side of the guide member 247. The hook member 243 is a means for fixing the ice making unit 24 to one surface of the ice making chamber 20 by a fastening member. That is, the fastening member penetrating the hook member 243 is inserted into one surface of the ice making chamber 20 so that the ice making unit 24 is fixed inside the ice making chamber 20. One surface of the ice making chamber 20 into which the fastening member is inserted may be an inner wall of the refrigerating chamber defining the ice making chamber 20 or a heat insulating wall defining the ice making chamber 20.

7 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating a state in which an ice making unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention is accommodated in an ice making chamber.

Referring to FIG. 7, the ice making unit 24 is positioned horizontally in the ice making chamber 20, particularly at a position near the front end of the ice making chamber 20. In addition, an end portion of the guide member 247 extending from one side surface of the ice making unit 24 is positioned at a point close to the outlet 201 of the ice making chamber 20. The end of the guide member 247 and the outlet 201 may be in contact with each other, or may be spaced apart by a predetermined interval. When the guide member 247 is spaced apart from the outlet 201, the guide member 247 may be spaced apart from each other by a distance such that ice does not fall into the spaced gap. The second half of the ice making chamber 20, that is, the space behind the ice making unit 24, performs a passage function to guide cool air supplied from the ice making duct 19 to the ice making unit 24. As described above, a cold air adjusting member 205 may be rotatably provided at the outlet 201. Cold air may be selectively supplied to the ice supply unit 21 by the cold air adjusting member 205. For example, when the temperature inside the ice supply unit 21 is maintained below a set temperature, the cold air adjusting member 205 is closed to supply the cold air inside the ice making chamber 20 to the ice supply unit 21. You can prevent it. On the contrary, when the temperature inside the ice supply unit 21 exceeds a set temperature, by opening the cold air adjusting member 205 to allow the cold air inside the ice making chamber 20 to be supplied to the ice supply unit 21, The ice stored in the ice bank 211 may be melted so as not to be entangled. Of course, in the ice-making process of separating the ice from the ice making unit 24 and transmitting the ice to the ice bank 211, the cold air adjusting member 205 is opened in an open state regardless of the temperature inside the ice supply unit 21. It should be maintained.

8 is a plan view illustrating a state in which an ice making unit according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is accommodated in an ice making chamber.

Referring to FIG. 8, in the state in which the refrigerating compartment door 12 is closed, the upper end of the ice supply unit 21 is located directly below the ice making chamber 20.

In detail, the upper end of the ice supply unit 21 is close to or in close contact with the front lower end of the ice making chamber 20. The inlet of the discharge duct 212 formed at the upper end of the ice supply unit 21 communicates with the outlet 201 formed at the front end of the ice making chamber 20.

In addition, while the refrigerating compartment door 12 is closed, the return hole 218 formed in the side portion of the ice supply unit 21 is an inlet portion of the return duct 113 formed in the inner side wall of the refrigerating compartment 15. In communication with the air, a cold air return passage is formed. Here, the sealing member may be provided around the edge portion of the return hole 218 or the inlet of the return duct 113. In other words, when the refrigerating compartment door 12 is closed, the return hole 218 may be in close contact with the inlet of the return duct 113 to prevent a part of the cold air returned to the refrigerating compartment 15. .

Of course, although not shown in the figure, a discharge port is formed at the side surface of the ice supply unit 21, in detail, the housing 210, so that a part of the cold air inside the ice supply unit 21 is transferred to the refrigerating chamber 15. Can be discharged.

9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator provided with an ice making assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 10 is an ice making assembly and the ice supply according to a second embodiment of the present invention in the refrigerator compartment door is closed Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the unit, Figure 11 is a front perspective view of the refrigerating chamber door having an ice supply unit on the back, Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator provided with an ice making assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. to be.

9, in the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the configuration is substantially the same as the first embodiment, except that the ice making unit 24 is placed in the front-back direction of the refrigerator.

In detail, the shape of the guide member is different from that of the first embodiment while the ice making unit 24 is placed in the front-rear direction inside the ice-making chamber 20. Unlike the first embodiment in which the front portion of the ice making chamber 20 is inclined, the front portion and the bottom portion are illustrated to be orthogonal to each other, but this portion can be designed as in the first embodiment. Of course, it is also possible to design the structure of the ice-making chamber front part of the first embodiment in the same manner as the structure of the ice-making chamber front part of the second embodiment.

Since the same configuration as the reference numerals used in the first embodiment is the same in the present embodiment, a separate description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 10, the ice making chamber 20 is defined as extending from the front end to the rear end of the refrigerating chamber 15, and shows that the ice making unit 24 is placed in the front-rear direction inside the ice making chamber 20. That is, the control box 242 of the ice making unit 24 is placed in front of the ice making chamber 20, and the water supply unit 244 is formed in the rear of the ice making chamber 20. Here, the control box 242 may be placed behind the ice making chamber 20 and the water supply 244 may be placed in front of the ice making chamber 20.

In addition, a guide member 248 is formed at a side surface of the tray 241 of the ice making unit 24. The guide member 248 is formed to be the same as or longer than the length of the tray 241, and forms a form inclined downward toward the width direction.

In addition, the rear end of the tray 241 is inclined downward toward the front end. In addition, the guide member 248 extends horizontally at the end of the first surface 248b and the first surface 248b which are inclined downward as it moves away from the guide surface 246 of the ice making unit 24. At the same time, it may include a second surface 248c inclined downward toward the outlet 201 and a guide wall 248a protruding from edge portions of the first surface 248b and the second surface 248c.

In detail, the first surface 248b may be provided in the same plane as the guide surface 246 of the ice making unit 24 or be less inclined than the guide surface 246. When the first surface 248b is less inclined downward than the guide surface 246, the speed of the ice sliding along the guide surface 246 decreases, so that the ice hits the guide wall 248a. Breaking or splashing out is prevented. Here, the guide wall 248a serves as a fence to prevent the ice that is iced from leaving the guide member 248 and falling on the bottom surface of the ice making chamber 20.

On the other hand, the second surface 248c further extends with a predetermined width from an end of the first surface 248b. In addition, the second surface 248c does not incline in the width direction like a slide but forms an inclination in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the second surface 248c is inclined downward toward the bottom of the ice making chamber 20 from the rear end to the front end. In addition, the front end portion of the second surface 248C is located at a point in close contact with or close to the outlet 201, and the ice sliding along the second surface 248c is transferred to the ice bank through the outlet 201. 211).

11 and 12, a return hole 218 is formed in a side portion of the housing 210 forming the outer shape of the ice supply unit 21, and a return duct 113 is formed at a side of the refrigerating chamber 15. Is formed. The structure in which the inlet part of the return hole 218 and the return duct 113 communicate with each other has already been described in the first embodiment, and thus, further description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, when the refrigerating series door 12 is completely closed, the outlet 201 of the discharge duct 212 formed in the ice supply unit 21 has a discharge port 201 formed in the bottom of the ice making chamber 20. It is located directly above. Therefore, the ice falling through the outlet 201 falls into the ice bank 211 through the discharge duct 212.

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view illustrating a state in which an ice making chamber for accommodating an ice making unit structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted inside a refrigerating compartment, and FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an ice making chamber coupling structure according to an embodiment.

13 and 14, the ice making room according to the embodiment of the present invention is not a structure in which the refrigerator body 11 and the body are injected into one body, but a structure in which a separate insulating wall member is coupled to the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber 15. Achieve. In the following, reference numeral 20 is defined as an ice making chamber, but it should be understood that it should be interpreted as including an insulating wall for defining an ice making chamber.

In detail, the inner side and the upper surface of the refrigerating chamber 15 is formed with a structure that is coupled to the heat insulating wall constituting the ice making chamber 20.

The heat insulation wall for defining the ice making chamber 20 includes a side part, a front part and a bottom part. In addition, the ice making chamber 20 forms a substantially hexahedral space by the side surfaces and the upper surfaces of the heat insulating wall and the refrigerating chamber 15.

An inner wall surface of the refrigerating chamber 15 includes a guide rib 31 including an upper guide rib 311, a rear guide rib 312, a bottom guide rib 314, and a side guide rib 313, and the guide rib 31. A close contact rib 32 is formed in front of the).

In detail, the upper guide rib 311 extends in the front-rear direction from the upper surface of the refrigerating chamber 15, and the rear guide rib 312 extends a predetermined length downward from the rear end of the upper guide rib 311. That is, the rear guide rib 312 is a rib protruding from the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber 15. The bottom guide rib 314 extends in the horizontal direction from the lower end of the rear guide rib 312. That is, the bottom guide rib 314 is a rib structure protruding from the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber 15 and extends horizontally toward an edge where a side and a rear surface of the refrigerating chamber meet. In addition, the side guide ribs 313 are ribs protruding from the side surface of the refrigerating chamber 15 and extend a predetermined length horizontally forward from the end of the bottom guide rib 314.

In addition, the close contact rib 32 protrudes toward the front end of the top guide rib 311 and the side guide rib 313. In detail, the close contact rib 32 is an L-shaped rib protruding from the side surface and the upper surface of the refrigerating chamber 15. In addition, the fitting protrusion 321 protrudes from the front surface of the close contact rib 32. These guide ribs 31 and the close contact ribs 32 are portions which are combined with heat insulating walls for defining the ice making chamber 20, and the structure of the heat insulating wall will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Meanwhile, the water supply port 40 protrudes from the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber 15 to be located in the ice making chamber 20 space. In addition, the hook member 243 protruding from the side portion of the ice making unit 24 is fixed to the side of the refrigerator compartment by the fastening member. When the ice making unit 24 is fixed to the side surface of the refrigerating compartment 15 defining the ice making room space, the water supply port 40 is positioned directly above the water supply part 244 of the ice making unit 24. In this state, the insulating wall is mounted to complete the ice-making room space.

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view illustrating an ice making room insulating wall structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the insulating wall structure.

15 and 16, the heat insulation wall structure defining the ice making chamber 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a front portion 202, a side portion 204, and a bottom portion 203.

In detail, the front portion 202, the side portion 204 and the bottom portion 203 is made of one body, the inside is filled with a foam for thermal insulation. That is, it may be made of the same material as the refrigerator main body 11. The front, bottom and one side of the ice making chamber are defined by the heat insulation wall, and the other side and the top of the ice making chamber are defined by the side and the top of the refrigerating chamber 15. In addition, an outlet 201 is formed at the front end side of the bottom portion 203.

Meanwhile, an upper guide groove 204a and a rear guide groove 204b are formed at the upper side and the rear edge of the side portion 204. An upper guide rib 311 of the refrigerating compartment is inserted into the upper guide groove 204a, and a rear guide rib 312 of the refrigerating compartment is inserted into the rear guide groove 204b.

In addition, the side guide grooves 203a and the bottom guide grooves 203b are formed in the side and rear edge portions of the bottom portion 203, respectively. The side guide rib 313 of the refrigerating compartment is inserted into the side guide groove 203a, and the bottom guide rib 314 of the refrigerating compartment is inserted into the bottom guide groove 203b.

In addition, a fitting groove 202a is bent on the rear surface of the front portion 202, and the fitting protrusion 321 of the close contact rib 32 is inserted into the fitting groove 202a.

FIG. 17 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line II ′ of FIG. 13, FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional side view taken along the line II-II ′ of FIG. 13, and FIG. 19 is a cut along the line III-III ′ of FIG. 13. Cross section view.

Referring to FIGS. 17 to 19, the assembling process of the heat insulation wall structure will be described. The heat insulation wall 20 is pushed back from the front of the refrigerating chamber so that the guide rib 313 is inserted. Then, the insulation wall 20 is pushed until the rear guide rib 312 and the bottom guide rib 314 are completely inserted into the rear guide groove 204b and the bottom guide groove 203b of the side portion 204. Put it in. Then, the fitting protrusion 321 is completely inserted into the fitting groove 202a of the front portion 202. In this way, the insulating wall bent to define three sides of the ice making chamber is coupled to the inside of the refrigerating chamber through one assembly process.

Meanwhile, a sealing member may be attached to a point at which the edges of the insulating walls and the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber may contact each other, thereby minimizing the occurrence of cold air through a gap between the insulating wall and the refrigerating chamber inner wall. In addition, any one of the front portion 202, the side portion 204, and the bottom portion 203 is fastened like a screw in order to exclude the possibility that the heat insulation wall 20 is separated from the refrigerating chamber during the movement of the refrigerator. The member may be fixed to the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber. In one embodiment, the fastening member may be inserted into the fitting protrusion 321 through the front portion 202.

20 is a partial perspective view illustrating an internal structure of a refrigerating chamber for forming an ice making chamber according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of a heat insulating wall structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 22 is the heat insulating wall. It is a side perspective view of a structure, and FIG. 23 is a back perspective view of the said heat insulation wall structure.

20 to 23, the plurality of guide ribs are formed on the inner side and the upper surface of the refrigerating chamber 15, which is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 14. However, there is a difference in that the front guide rib is provided instead of the contact rib.

In addition, the present embodiment is characterized in that the heat insulating wall corresponding to the front portion is in close contact with the side portion and the bottom portion as a separate component.

In detail, on the inner wall of the refrigerating compartment 15, top guide ribs 331, rear guide ribs 332, bottom guide ribs 334 and side guide ribs 333 are formed as in the previous embodiment. In the present embodiment, the front guide rib 335 is formed at a position where the close contact rib 32 of FIG. 14 is formed.

In addition, the heat insulation wall structure according to the present embodiment has a side portion 204 and the bottom portion 203 made of one body, and the front portion in close contact with the front end of the side portion 204 and the bottom portion 203 in the form of a separate member. 202. Here, the L-shaped heat insulating material defining the side part 204 and the bottom part 203 is defined as a first heat insulating member, and the front part 202 is defined as a second heat insulating member. In this embodiment, since the front part 202 is provided as a separate member, the front part 202 may also be coupled to the front guide rib 335 in a sliding manner.

 In addition, the side surface portion 204 is formed with a top guide groove 204a and a rear guide groove 204b, respectively, and the bottom surface portion 203 has a side guide groove 203b, a bottom guide groove 203a and a front guide groove. 203c is formed. That is, guide grooves are formed on all three side surfaces of the bottom portion 203. In addition, front guide grooves 202b are formed on the top and side surfaces of the front portion 202. The front guide groove 202b is a groove into which the front guide rib 335 is inserted.

Referring to the assembling process of the heat insulating wall structure constituting such a configuration, first, the first heat insulating member including the bottom portion 203 and the side portion 204 is slidingly coupled from the front of the refrigerating chamber to the rear, and then the second heat insulating member Is coupled to slide in a direction crossing the moving direction of the first heat insulating member on the front surface of the first heat insulating member. The sealing member may be interposed between the contact surface between the first heat insulating member and the second heat insulating member, and the contact surface between the heat insulating wall including the first and second heat insulating members and the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber. In addition, the front portion 202 corresponding to the first heat insulating member may be further performed to be fixed to the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber by a fastening member such as a screw.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the front part 202 has been described as being provided as a separate member, but it may be proposed that any one of the bottom part 203 or the side part 204 is combined as a separate member.

Meanwhile, in the above description, the ice making unit 24 is fixed to the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber, and then the heat insulating wall for forming the ice making chamber is combined, but another method is possible. That is, the ice making unit 24 may be assembled in the order of fixing to the inside of the heat insulating wall constituting the ice making chamber, and then fixing the heat insulating wall to the interior wall of the refrigerating chamber.

24 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the cold air flow path of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In the above description, the cooling air provided from the evaporator provided at the rear side of the freezing chamber 16 is supplied to the ice making chamber 20. However, in the present embodiment, a separate evaporator is provided inside the ice making chamber 20. It explains what happens.

Referring to FIG. 24, the suction hole 209 is formed at one side of the ice making chamber 20, and the ice making evaporator 222 is accommodated in the ice making chamber 20. Then, the ice making fan 23 is installed at the front or the rear of the ice making evaporator 222.

According to such a configuration, the air inside the refrigerating chamber 15 is introduced into the ice making chamber 20 through the suction hole 209 and cooled while passing through the ice making evaporator 222. The cooled air is then moved to the ice making unit 24 by the ice making fan 23. Therefore, a space in which the evaporator 22 is accommodated and an ice making duct connecting the ice making chamber 20 may not be provided.

 Meanwhile, the flow path structure of the cold air passing through the ice making chamber 20 is the same as that shown in the previous embodiments.

1 is a front perspective view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator provided with an ice making assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of the refrigerator.

Figure 3 is a partial perspective view schematically showing a cold air flow path of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a rear perspective view of a refrigerating compartment door provided with an ice supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a front perspective view of the refrigerating compartment door.

6 is an external perspective view of an ice making unit constituting the ice making assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a partial cutaway perspective view showing a state in which an ice making unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention is accommodated in an ice making chamber.

8 is a plan view showing a state in which an ice making unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention is accommodated in an ice making chamber.

9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of a refrigerator provided with an ice making assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the ice making assembly and the ice supply unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention with the refrigerating compartment door closed;

11 is a front perspective view of the refrigerating compartment door provided with an ice supply unit at its rear side;

12 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a refrigerator provided with an ice making assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view illustrating a state in which an ice making chamber for receiving an ice making unit structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted inside a refrigerating compartment; FIG.

14 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an ice-making chamber coupling structure according to an embodiment.

15 is a front perspective view showing the ice-making room insulation wall structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

16 is a rear perspective view of the heat insulation wall structure.

17 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line II ′ of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional side view taken along line II-II 'of FIG. 13; FIG.

FIG. 19 is a cross sectional view taken along the line III-III ′ of FIG. 13;

20 is a partial perspective view showing an internal structure of a refrigerating chamber for forming an ice making chamber according to another embodiment of the present invention.

21 is a front perspective view of a heat insulation wall structure according to another embodiment of the present invention.

22 is a side perspective view of the heat insulation wall structure.

23 is a rear perspective view of the heat insulation wall structure.

24 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the cold air flow path of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention;

Claims (14)

A main body having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment defined below the refrigerating compartment; A door for selectively opening and closing the refrigerating compartment; An ice making unit provided at one side of the refrigerating compartment and including a tray for manufacturing ice and a guide member extending to one edge of the tray to guide movement of the ice separated from the tray; An ice making chamber defined at one side of the refrigerating compartment and accommodating the ice making unit; And An ice supply unit provided at a rear side of the door and storing an ice separated from the tray, and an ice supply unit provided at a front side of the door and having a dispenser for discharging the ice stored in the ice bank to the outside. Refrigerator. The method of claim 1, At the bottom of the ice making chamber is formed an outlet for taking out ice, And the guide member extends toward the outlet. The method of claim 2, And the guide member is inclined downward toward the outlet. The method of claim 2, The ice supply unit, A housing, A discharge duct in which an inlet portion communicates with the outlet and an outlet portion communicates with the ice bank; And an ice chute extending from a bottom surface of the space accommodating the ice bank and connected to the dispenser. The method of claim 4, wherein A cool air discharge port is formed on at least one side of the housing to allow the cool air inside the housing to be discharged to the refrigerating compartment. The method of claim 4, wherein An evaporator provided inside the main body to generate cold air; A return duct extending along a side surface of the refrigerating compartment and communicating with a space in which the evaporator is accommodated; And a return hole formed at a side portion of the housing facing the refrigerating chamber side portion at which the feedback duct is formed when the door is closed, is aligned with an inlet portion of the feedback duct. The method of claim 4, wherein And a cold air adjusting member mounted to at least one of the outlet, the discharge duct, and the ice chute. The method of claim 2, And the ice making unit is placed horizontally in the ice making room. The method of claim 8, And a guide rib formed at an edge of the upper surface of the guide member so that the ice to be separated is concentrated toward the outlet. The method of claim 2, A portion of the heat insulation wall defining the ice making chamber is formed to be inclined rearward, And an upper portion of the ice supply unit corresponding to the outlet is inclined in the same manner as the heat insulation wall of the portion where the outlet is formed. The method of claim 2, And the ice making unit is placed in the front and rear direction in the ice making chamber. The method of claim 11, The guide member has a first surface extending inclined downward from the side edge of the tray, And a second side extending further from an end of the first side and inclined downwardly forward. 13. The method of claim 12, The front end of the second surface is characterized in that the refrigerator is located close to the outlet. 13. The method of claim 12, And a guide wall extending upward from edges of the first and second surfaces to prevent separation of the separated ice.

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