KR20140102082A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a main body having a space inside; a door for opening and closing the main body; a dispenser installed on the front side of the door to help user to be supplied with water and liquid from the refrigerator; a water supplying unit for supplying water from a water source to the dispenser; a liquid storage tank positioned inside the main body to store the liquid supplied to the dispenser; a liquid supplying passage for connecting the dispenser with the liquid storage tank; a manifold flow passage diverged from the water supplying unit to be connected to the fluid supplying passage; and a switchover valve for flowing the water, supplied from the manifold flow passage, from the liquid supplying unit to the dispenser, or flowing the liquid, supplied from the liquid storage tank, from the liquid flowing passage to the dispenser.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerator is a device that allows storage of a stored product in a fresh state for a long time by the cold air supplied to the inside of the storage room. The cool air supplied to the inside of the storage chamber is generated by the heat exchange action of the refrigerant. The cold air supplied to the inside of the storage room is uniformly transferred to the inside of the storage room by the convection so that the food can be stored at a desired temperature.

The refrigerator has a storage room in which a front surface is opened so that food can be stored in the inside of a main body that forms an outer appearance. A door for opening and closing the storage compartment is provided on the front surface of the storage compartment. The door is hinged to the main body and rotates to open and close the storage compartment.

The refrigerator may have a plurality of storage compartments depending on the storage form of the food. Generally, the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are provided inside the body of the refrigerator. A refrigerator compartment door and a freezer compartment door are respectively provided to open and close the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively.

On the front of the door of the refrigerator, there is installed a dispenser capable of taking out cool water without opening the door of the refrigerator.

However, since a general dispenser has a structure capable of taking out only water, there is a problem in that it is inconvenient to open the refrigerator door in the case of beverage other than water, and there is a problem of waste of energy.

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which supplies water and liquid other than water through a dispenser.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can conveniently be cleaned using water supplied to a dispenser through a liquid supply passage for supplying liquid other than water.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a main body having a space therein, a door for opening and closing the main body, and a door disposed on the front of the door so that the user can receive water and liquid from the refrigerator A dispenser, a water supply part for supplying water to the dispenser from a water supply source, a liquid storage tank for storing the liquid supplied to the dispenser in the main body, a liquid supply channel for connecting the dispenser and the liquid storage tank, And the liquid supplied from the liquid storage tank flows from the liquid supply passage to the dispenser, and the liquid supplied from the liquid supply passage to the dispenser And a switching valve for allowing the fluid to flow.

The liquid storage tank may further include a water level sensor for sensing the level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank, a controller for outputting a control signal according to the detection result of the water level sensor, And a display for indicating the level of the liquid in accordance with the signal.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

First, since water and liquid other than water are supplied through the dispenser, there is an advantage that the inconvenience that the user opens the door of the refrigerator can be reduced, and energy waste due to frequent opening of the refrigerator door can be reduced.

Secondly, since the liquid storage tank is installed in the refrigerating chamber and the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank is kept cool, the user can take advantage of the cold liquid (beverage, etc.) at any time.

Third, there is an advantage that the liquid supply flow path that can be dirty with the precipitate or the like can be easily and conveniently cleaned using the water supplied to the dispenser.

Fourth, when the liquid storage tank is detached, there is a high probability that new liquid is filled in the liquid storage tank, which is an advantage that the user is aware of this and induces the cleaning of the liquid supply passage.

Fifth, since the remaining amount of the liquid stored in the liquid holding tank is displayed on the display installed on the front surface of the refrigerator door, the user can easily recognize the refilling time of the liquid, and the inconvenience of opening the refrigerator door There is an advantage to be able to.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of the door shown in Fig. 1 when it is opened;
3 is a schematic view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
6 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a general operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram illustrating an operation of cleaning the liquid supply passage of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

The terms spatially relative, "below", "beneath", "lower", "above", "upper" Can be used to easily describe the correlation of components with other components. Spatially relative terms should be understood as terms that include different orientations of components during use or operation in addition to those shown in the drawings. For example, when inverting an element shown in the figures, an element described as "below" or "beneath" of another element may be placed "above" another element . Thus, the exemplary term "below" can include both downward and upward directions. The components can also be oriented in different directions, so that spatially relative terms can be interpreted according to orientation.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of illustrating embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification. &Quot; comprises "and / or" comprising ", as used herein, unless the recited component, step, and / or step does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements, steps and / I never do that.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a sense commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Also, commonly used predefined terms are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise.

In the drawings, the thickness and the size of each component are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically shown for convenience and clarity of explanation. Also, the size and area of each component do not entirely reflect actual size or area.

Further, the angles and directions mentioned in the description of the structure of the embodiment are based on those shown in the drawings. In the description of the structures constituting the embodiments in the specification, reference points and positional relationships with respect to angles are not explicitly referred to, reference is made to the relevant drawings.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present invention.

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

Referring to Fig. 1, the refrigerator of the embodiment includes a main body 2 forming an outer appearance, one storage room provided inside the main body 2, doors 4 and 6 for opening and closing the two storage rooms, And a dispenser 110 installed on the front side of the dispenser 6.

The storage room includes a first storage room and a second storage room, and the first storage room and the second storage room may be a freezer room F for refrigerating and storing food and a refrigerating room R for storing food.

The main body 2 is equipped with a refrigeration cycle device for cooling the freezing compartment F and the refrigerating compartment R to a low temperature.

The refrigeration cycle apparatus comprises a compressor for compressing gas refrigerant at low temperature and pressure, a condenser for condensing the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed in the compressor by radiating heat to the outside air, an expander for decompressing the refrigerant condensed in the condenser, And an evaporator which takes the heat of the air circulated from the freezer compartment (F) or the refrigerating compartment (R) and evaporates.

 The storage room F is provided with shelves 8 and 10 on which foods such as food materials and side dishes are stored and stored in the storage room F R, and drawers 12, 14 that slide back and forth are arranged.

The doors 4 and 6 are provided with ice packs such as beverages such as bottled water, milk, juice, and liquor, and ice cream such as ice cream, etc. on the surface (inner surface) facing the storage chamber F And a basket 16 (18) for storing a basket or the like.

Preferably, a plurality of baskets 16 and 18 are vertically spaced from the doors 4 and 6.

The storage room F includes a freezing room F and a refrigerating compartment R. The doors 4 and 6 include a freezing compartment door 4 for opening and closing the freezing compartment F and a refrigerating compartment door for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment R, (10) comprises a freezer compartment shelf (8) arranged in the freezing compartment (F) and a refrigerator compartment shelf (10) arranged in the refrigerating compartment (R), the basket (16) 18 includes a freezing compartment basket 16 in which frozen foods such as ice creams are stored and a refrigerating compartment basket 18 in which refrigerated items such as beverages such as milk, juice, and liquor are stored.

The dispenser 110 is installed on the front surface of the door so that the user can receive water and liquid from the refrigerator. The dispenser 110 may be installed in the freezer compartment door 4 or the refrigerator compartment door 6, but may preferably be installed in the freezer compartment door 4.

The dispenser 110 is installed on the front surface of the freezing chamber door 4 and is connected to the water supply source 125 and the liquid storage tank 130.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG.

3, the refrigerator according to the embodiment may include a dispenser 110, a liquid storage tank 130, a water supply portion, a liquid supply passage 133, a branch passage 150, and a switching valve 140 .

The dispenser 110 is installed on the front of the doors 4 and 6 so that the user can receive water and liquid from the refrigerator without opening the refrigerator doors 4 and 6.

The dispenser 110 may include a water outlet 111 connected to the water supply unit and a liquid outlet 112 connected to the liquid supply channel 133.

The water take-out part 111 and the liquid take-out part 112 can be realized by nozzles and are arranged side by side.

The dispenser 110 has a space in which a cup is drawn in front of the refrigerator doors 4 and 6.

The dispenser 110 includes a liquid take-out sensor 114 adjacent to the liquid take-out part 112 to sense when the user approaches the cup near the liquid take-out part 112, And a water take-out sensor 113 for sensing when the user approaches the cup near the water take-out unit 111. Of course, various sensors such as a pressure sensor and an infrared sensor may be used as the water discharge sensor 113 and the liquid discharge sensor 114. [ Preferably, the water extraction sensor 113 is disposed at the lower end of the water take-out unit 111, and the liquid takeout detection sensor 114 is disposed at the lower end of the liquid takeout unit 112.

The water supply unit supplies water to the dispenser 110 from the water supply source 125.

The water supply unit includes a water supply passage 121 connecting the water supply source 125 and the dispenser 110. For example, one end of the water supply passage 121 is connected to the water supply source 125 and the other end is connected to the water discharge portion 111 of the dispenser 110.

The water supply passage 121 may include, but is not limited to, a tube made of metal or resin. Further, the water supply passage 121 may be made of a flexible material.

A water supply control valve 122 is provided in the water supply passage 121 adjacent to the water supply source 125 to adjust the supply amount of water.

The water supply unit may further include a filter 122 disposed on the water supply passage 121 to purify water.

The water supply passage 121 may be bent several times inside the doors 4 and 6 so that the water supplied to the dispenser 110 is cooled and supplied by the freezing of the main body 2. [ That is, since the water flowing through the water supply channel 121 stays in the doors 4 and 6 for a long time, the water exchanges with the inside of the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment, and a cool condition is maintained without any additional cooling. Preferably, for efficiency of heat exchange, the water supply passage 121 may be provided inside the freezer compartment door 4.

The section of the water supply channel 121 that is bent many times inside the doors 4 and 6 is preferably made of a metal material to improve heat exchange efficiency.

4, the freezing chamber door 4 is provided with an inner surface 4a constituting an inner surface of the freezing chamber F and an outer surface 4b constituting an outer surface of the freezing chamber door 4 being spaced apart from each other, The heat insulating material 4c is filled. Here, the section where the water supply channel 121 is bent is installed between the foamed heat insulating materials 4c. At this time, the water supply passage 121 is spaced apart from the inner surface 4a of the freezer compartment door 4 so as to be spaced apart from each other, so that water in the water supply passage 121 is not frozen. In other words, since the internal temperature of the freezing chamber F is maintained at -16 to -22 ° C, the water supply channel 121 is frozen if it is installed too close to the internal phase 4a. If the water supply channel 121 is too far away, It is preferable that the water supply line 121 is installed at an appropriate distance at which the temperature of the water in the water supply line 121 can be maintained at 3 to 5 占 폚.

The liquid storage tank 130 is located in the main body 2, and liquid supplied to the dispenser 110 is stored. The liquid storage tank 130 is connected to the liquid supply passage 133. Here, the liquid includes a drink that can be consumed by a user other than water, and may include, for example, carbonated water, juice, juice, vegetable juice, and the like.

There is no limitation on the position of the liquid storage tank 130, but it is preferably disposed higher than the liquid take-out part 112. [ In other words, the liquid storage tank 130 is installed at a height higher than the liquid take-out part 112 in the vertical direction (the opposite direction to the gravity direction), so that the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130, And can be taken out to the liquid take-out part 112. [

In addition, when the liquid storage tank 130 is exposed to a too low temperature, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 may be frozen, so that the liquid storage tank 130 is preferably installed in the refrigerating chamber R . When the liquid storage tank 130 is installed in the refrigerating compartment R, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 is kept cold so that the user can always open the refrigerator doors 4 and 6 with cold liquid , And can be conveniently consumed.

The liquid storage tank 130 may be detachably installed inside the refrigerator compartment door 6 or the refrigerating compartment R. [

The liquid storage tank 130 may have an inlet (not shown) so as to allow the user to refill the desired liquid, and may have various shapes having an internal space. However, in consideration of space availability inside the main body 2, it is preferable that the main body 2 has an approximate hexahedron shape.

The liquid storage tank 130 may further include a mix fan 131 rotatably installed on the bottom of the liquid storage tank 130. The mix pan 131 functions to mix the precipitate and the solvent well when the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 is the liquid in which the precipitate is generated.

The mix fan 131 is rotatably installed on the inner bottom of the liquid storage tank 130. For example, the Max fan can be connected to a rotating means such as a motor. The mix pan 131 may include any shape having a volume such as to produce a flow of liquid within the liquid storage tank 130.

The mix pan 131 may be operated every predetermined time. The predetermined period may be set differently according to the kind of liquid by the user.

The liquid supply passage 133 connects the dispenser 110 and the liquid storage tank 130. One end of the liquid supply passage 133 is connected to the lower portion of the liquid storage tank 130 and the other end of the liquid supply passage 133 is connected to the liquid takeout portion 112 of the dispenser 110.

The branched flow path (150) is branched from the water supply portion and connected to the liquid supply flow path (133). That is, one end of the branch passage 150 is connected to the water supply passage 121, and the other end is connected to the liquid supply passage 133.

The branch flow path 150 may further include an on-off valve 152 for opening and closing the branch flow path 150. The opening / closing valve 152 interrupts the supply of the water in the water supply passage 121 to the liquid supply passage 133.

It is preferable that the branched flow path 150 is connected to the liquid supply flow path 133 adjacent to the liquid storage tank 130 considering the cleaning of the liquid supply flow path 133.

The switching valve 140 is a valve that allows the water supplied from the branch passage 150 to flow from the liquid supply passage 133 to the dispenser 110 or the liquid supplied from the liquid storage tank 130 to the liquid supply passage 133 And flows to the dispenser 110. That is, the switching valve 140 connects the liquid supply passage 133 and the liquid storage tank 130, closes the liquid supply passage 133 and the branch passage 150, The storage tank 130 is closed, and the liquid supply passage 133 and the branch passage 150 are connected.

Since not only the water but also the precipitate are supplied into the liquid supply channel 133, the inside of the liquid supply channel 133 may accumulate deposits or decay. Therefore, the switching valve 140 normally connects the liquid storage tank 130 and the liquid supply passage 133 so that the user can take out the liquid from the liquid take-out part 112 of the dispenser 110, The water that flows into the water supply passage 121 can flow into the liquid supply passage 133 when the liquid supply passage 133 needs to be cleaned. When the switching valve 140 causes the water flowing in the water supply passage 121 to flow into the liquid supply passage 133, the liquid supply passage 133 can be cleaned by the natural water pressure generated in the water supply source 125 It becomes.

The embodiment can easily and conveniently clean the liquid supply passage 133 which can be dirty and has an advantage that one of the dispensers 110 can drink cold water and other liquids (drinks) and the like.

The switching valve 140 is preferably disposed on the liquid supply passage 133 adjacent to the liquid storage tank 130 in order to clean the entire liquid supply passage 133. [ That is, since the water supplied to the liquid supply passage 133 is taken out through the liquid take-out portion 112, the selector valve 140 is disposed in the liquid supply passage 133 adjacent to the liquid storage tank 130 as much as possible, The flow path 150 is connected to the switching valve 140.

The switching valve 140 may include a three-way valve or a four-way valve.

The operation unit 160 may be installed on the front surface of the door. The operation unit 160 may include a sensor for sensing the temperature of the human body or approaching the human body and applying an electric signal. In addition, the operation unit 160 may include a switch button for sensing the pressure.

The switching valve 140 allows the water supplied from the branch flow path 150 to flow from the liquid supply flow path 133 to the dispenser 110 when an electric signal is applied from the operation part 160. That is, the switching valve 140 connects the branch passage 150 and the liquid supply passage 133, and closes the liquid supply passage 133 and the liquid storage tank 130. Of course, the switching valve 140 can be automatically operated, which will be described later.

When the electric signal is applied from the operation unit 160 to flow water on the liquid supply channel 133, the liquid takeout unit 112 can be opened for a predetermined time. The water supplied by the water pressure of the water supply source 125 is discharged through the liquid supply passage 133 and discharged through the liquid discharge portion 112 to wash the inside of the liquid supply passage 133.

When the electric signal is applied from the operation unit 160 and the predetermined time has elapsed, the switching valve 140 switches the liquid supplied from the liquid storage tank 130 from the liquid supply channel 133 to the dispenser 110 . That is, the switching valve 140 closes the branch passage 150 and the liquid supply passage 133, and connects the liquid supply passage 133 and the liquid storage tank 130. Accordingly, the user can take out the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 through the liquid take-out portion 112. [

The embodiment can easily and conveniently clean the liquid supply passage 133 which can be dirty and has an advantage that one of the dispensers 110 can drink cold water and other liquids (drinks) and the like.

In addition, in the embodiment, the water supplied through the branch passage 150 is discharged through the liquid take-out portion 112, thereby increasing the flow rate of water, so that the liquid supply passage 133 can be more effectively cleaned.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6, the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a water level sensor 180, a display 170, a notification mechanism 161, a detachment sensor 190, and a controller (not shown) 100). Hereinafter, description of the same components as those described with reference to FIG. 3 will be omitted.

The level detecting sensor 180 senses the level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130. For example, the water level sensor 180 may include a pressure sensor or an infrared sensor.

When the water level sensor 180 is implemented as a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor may be installed below the liquid storage tank 130. Preferably, when the pressure sensor is installed inside the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank 130, if the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank 130 is formed of a double structure of a top plate and a bottom plate, .

The water level detection sensor 180 outputs the detection result of the level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 to the control unit 100.

The detachment detection sensor 190 detects that the liquid storage tank 130 is attached to or detached from the main body 2. For example, the detachment detection sensor 190 may include a pressure sensor or an infrared sensor.

The detachment detection sensor 190 senses whether the liquid storage tank 130 is detached from the main body 2 of the refrigerator and outputs the detection result to the control unit 100.

The operation unit 160 senses a user's touch or pressure and outputs the signal to the control unit 100.

The liquid extraction sensor 114 senses an object approaching the vicinity of the liquid extraction portion 112 and outputs the signal to the control portion 100. [

The water extraction sensor 113 senses an object approaching the vicinity of the water takeout unit 111 and outputs the signal to the control unit 100. [

The controller 100 outputs a control signal in accordance with the detection result of the water level sensor 180. That is, the controller 100 calculates the liquid level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 based on the signal input from the water level sensor 180, and outputs the corresponding control signal to the display 170 do. Preferably, when the level sensor 180 is implemented as a pressure sensor, the controller 100 calculates the level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 according to the pressure of the pressure sensor.

In addition, the controller 100 outputs a control signal according to the detection result of the detachment detection sensor 190. That is, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the liquid storage tank 130 is detached based on the signal input from the detachment detection sensor 190, and outputs a control signal corresponding thereto to the notification unit.

The control unit 100 outputs a control signal for controlling the switching valve 140 according to a signal input from the operation unit 160. That is, when a signal for touching the operation unit 160 is inputted by the user on the operation unit 160, the control unit 100 transmits a control signal for causing the switching valve 140 to connect the branch flow path and the liquid supply flow path 133 The switching valve 140 closes the branch passage and the liquid supply passage 133 and outputs a control signal for connecting the liquid storage tank 130 and the liquid supply passage 133 to each other do.

Further, the control unit 100 outputs a control signal for controlling the water take-out unit 111 in accordance with the result of detection by the water take-out sensor 113. [ That is, the control unit 100 determines whether the object is approaching the water take-out sensor 113 based on the signal input from the water take-out sensor 113. If it is determined that the object is approaching, It is possible to output a control signal for opening the terminal.

In addition, the controller 100 outputs a control signal for controlling the liquid take-out unit 112 in accordance with the detection result of the liquid take-out sensor 114. That is, the control unit 100 determines whether the object is approaching the liquid extraction sensor 114 based on the signal input from the liquid extraction sensor 114, and when it is determined that the object is approaching, the liquid extraction unit 112 It is possible to output a control signal for opening the terminal.

The display 170 is installed on the front surface of the door so that the user can recognize the level or amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130. That is, the user can confirm the liquid level of the liquid without opening the door of the refrigerator by the display 170.

The display 170 displays the level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 according to the signal output from the controller 100. [ That is, the display 170 displays the liquid level corresponding to the control signal calculated by the controller 100 according to the detection result of the water level sensor 180.

The display 170 may display the level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 in various ways that the user can visually recognize. For example, the display 170 may be an LED that displays the liquid level in a bar graph. As another example, the display 170 may represent the liquid level as a numerical value or as a color. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The notification mechanism 161 is installed on the front surface of the door and is operated when the liquid storage tank 130 is detached from the main body 2. [ That is, the control unit 100 calculates the control signal according to the detection result of the detachment detection sensor 190, and the notification mechanism 161 determines that the liquid storage tank 130 is detached from the main body 2 in the control unit 100 And operates in response to the control signal.

The notification mechanism 161 can be implemented in various ways that the user can recognize visually or audibly. For example, when the control unit 100 receives a control signal, the notification mechanism 161 may be implemented as a speaker for outputting a voice message, an alarm sound, or an LED for outputting an illumination flicker or the like. Therefore, the user can recognize the detachment of the liquid storage tank 130. Therefore, the user is guided to clean the liquid supply passage 133.

According to the embodiment, there is an advantage that the amount of liquid (water level) stored in the refrigerator can be known without opening the doors 4 and 6 of the refrigerator.

In addition, when the liquid storage tank 130 is removed, there is a high probability that new liquid is filled in the liquid storage tank 130, which is an advantage of inducing the user to recognize the liquid to thereby clean the liquid supply passage 133.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a general operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.

The water is supplied along the water supply passage 121 connected to the water supply source 125 and the water is cooled while flowing along the freezer compartment door 4 and flows into the water discharge port 111 connected to one end of the water supply passage 121 ). At this time, the on-off valve 152 disposed on the branch flow path 150 is closed.

The water supplied to the water take-out unit 111 can be consumed by the user through the dispenser 110.

The liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 130 is cooled by the freezing chamber R and is supplied to the liquid take-out unit 112 of the dispenser 110 along the liquid supply path 133. At this time, the switching valve 140 closes the branch passage 150 and the liquid supply passage 133, and connects the liquid storage tank 130 and the liquid supply passage 133 together.

The liquid supplied to the liquid takeout part 112 can be consumed by the user through the dispenser 110. [

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing an operation of cleaning the liquid supply passage 133 of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The switching valve 140 connects the branched flow path 150 and the liquid supply flow path 133 by the electric signal of the operating section 160 or the control signal of the control section 100 and connects the liquid storage tank 130 and the liquid supply flow path 133 are closed. When the branch passage 152 is present in the branch passage 150, the opening and closing valve 152 is opened.

The water flowing in the water supply passage 121 is branched to the branch passage 150 and the water flowing in the branch passage 150 flows into the liquid supply passage 133, . Further, in order to improve the cleaning effect, the liquid take-out portion 112 of the dispenser 110 is opened to discharge water flowing through the liquid supply passage 133.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (17)

A body having a space therein;
A door that opens and closes the main body;
A dispenser installed on a front surface of the door so that a user can receive water and liquid from the refrigerator;
A water supply unit for supplying water from the water supply source to the dispenser;
A liquid storage tank located in the main body and storing liquid supplied to the dispenser;
A liquid supply passage connecting the dispenser and the liquid storage tank;
A branch channel branched from the water supply unit and connected to the liquid supply channel; And
And a switching valve for causing the water supplied from the branch passage to flow from the liquid supply passage to the dispenser or to cause the liquid supplied from the liquid storage tank to flow from the liquid supply passage to the dispenser. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the switching valve is disposed on the liquid supply passage adjacent to the liquid storage tank. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an operating portion provided on a front surface of the door,
Wherein the switching valve comprises:
Wherein when the electric signal is applied from the operation unit, the water supplied from the branch passage flows from the liquid supply passage to the dispenser. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the dispenser comprises:
A water outlet connected to the water supply unit,
And a liquid takeout portion connected to the liquid supply passage,
And the liquid extracting unit is opened for a preset time when an electric signal is applied to the operation unit. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the switching valve comprises:
Wherein the liquid supplied from the liquid storage tank flows from the liquid supply channel to the dispenser when an electric signal is applied from the operation unit and a predetermined time has elapsed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the switching valve includes a three-way valve or a four-way valve. The method according to claim 1,
And the water supply unit includes a water supply channel connecting the water supply source and the dispenser. 8. The method of claim 7,
The water supply unit,
And a filter disposed on the water supply flow channel to purify water. 8. The method of claim 7,
The water supply passage
And the water supplied to the dispenser is bended to the inside of the door many times so as to be cooled and supplied by the freezing of the main body. 8. The method of claim 7,
And a branching valve connected to the water supply passage, further comprising an opening / closing valve for opening / closing the branching passage. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the liquid storage tank further comprises a mix fan rotatably installed on an inner bottom thereof. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the mix fan is operated every predetermined time. The method according to claim 1,
A liquid level sensor for sensing the level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank;
A control unit for outputting a control signal according to the detection result of the water level sensor;
And a display installed on the door and displaying the level of the liquid in accordance with a control signal output from the controller. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the level sensor includes a pressure sensor or an infrared sensor. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the display is a LED that displays the level of the liquid by a bar graph. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the liquid storage tank is detachably installed inside the main body,
A notification mechanism installed on a front surface of the door,
Further comprising a detachment detection sensor for detecting that the liquid storage tank is detached from the main body,
Wherein the control unit outputs a control signal to operate the notification mechanism when the liquid storage tank is detached. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the liquid storage tank is disposed higher than the liquid outlet portion.

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