KR20180129259A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises: a cabinet defining a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment; a refrigerating compartment door opening and closing the refrigerating compartment; a freezing compartment door opening and closing the freezing compartment; a dispenser provided in a front surface of the refrigerating compartment door; an ice maker provided in the freezing compartment door; a water tank detachably disposed on the refrigerating compartment door above the dispenser to supply water by a self-weight of the water when the water tank is mounted; and a tank connection member disposed in the refrigerating compartment door and connected to the water tank when the water tank is mounted to provide a passage branched toward the dispenser and the ice maker.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

This embodiment relates to a refrigerator.

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance that allows food to be stored at a low temperature in an internal storage space that is shielded by a door. The refrigerator is stored by cooling the inside of the storage space using cool air generated through heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration cycle It is configured to store foods in optimal condition.

In addition, as the dietary life and user 's taste are varied, the refrigerator is in a trend of becoming larger and multifunctional, and various constructions are added for the convenience of the user.

For example, in recent years, there has been developed a refrigerator equipped with a dispenser for taking water out of the refrigerator door or an ice maker for making ice in the freezer compartment or the freezer compartment door. A water tank in which water supplied to the dispenser is stored may be detachably installed on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door.

On the other hand, there is a problem that a water tank for supplying water to the dispenser in such a refrigerator can not be supplied to the ice maker.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which can be dispensed with a dispenser and an ice maker by means of a detachable water tank provided in a door.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can supply water to a dispenser due to its own weight at the time of installing a water tank and at the same time, can supply water to an ice maker.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a detachable water tank of simple structure which can be supplied with a dispenser and an ice maker.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which a branched flow path is provided on a tank connection part connected when a water tank is installed so that water can be supplied to the dispenser by its own weight and water can be supplied by a pump to an eye maker.

The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a cabinet forming a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment; A refrigerator compartment door for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment; A freezing chamber door for opening and closing the freezing chamber; A dispenser formed on a front surface of the refrigerator compartment door; An ice maker provided in the freezing chamber door; A water tank detachably provided on the door above the dispenser and supplied with its own weight at the time of installation; And a tank connecting member which is provided in the refrigerator chamber door and is connected to the water tank when the water tank is mounted, and forms a flow channel branched to the dispenser and the ice maker.

The freezing chamber may be located above the refrigerating chamber.

The cabinet is provided with a center hinge for rotatably supporting the refrigerator compartment door and the freezer compartment door between the refrigerator compartment door and the freezer compartment door, and the center hinge is hollowed to supply water from the tank connection member to the ice maker It is possible for the pipe to pass through.

The tank connecting member includes: a case upper portion that exposes a space recessed into the back surface of the refrigerating chamber door; And a lower portion of the case in which the space recessed by the dispenser is opened, and a connector communicating with the water tank may be provided under the case.

The lower part of the case is positioned above the take-off line of the dispenser so that the water in the water tank can be discharged to the dispenser by its own weight.

A tank mounting portion for supporting the lower surface and both side surfaces of the water tank is formed on the rear surface of the door and the connector inlet opened at one side of the connector and connected to the water tank is exposed on the lower surface of the tank mounting portion.

Wherein the water tank comprises: a tank body in which the water is stored; A tank cover for opening and closing the tank body; And a tank outlet protruding from the tank body and inserted into the tank connecting member when the tank body is mounted on the refrigerator chamber door.

The connector includes: a case body which receives water from the tank outlet portion and is branched to the dispenser-side connecting portion and the ice maker-side connecting portion; And a sealing member mounted on an opened upper end of the case body and hermetically sealing the space between the case body and the tank outlet portion.

The dispenser-side connection portion extends toward the dispenser, and the ice-maker-side connection portion may extend in a direction opposite to the dispenser-side connection portion.

The case body may be formed with a side fixing portion extending in a direction intersecting the connection portion of the dispenser and the connection portion of the ice maker and being fixed to both sides of the tank connecting member.

The side fixing portion can be axially coupled so that the connector can be rotated.

And a lower fixing part extending downward from the lower end of the case body and being fixed to the tank fixing member between the side fixing parts.

The refrigerator compartment door may be connected to a branched one side of the tank connection part and a pump for supplying water to the ice maker may be provided.

The pump casing may be provided on the rear surface of the door, and the pump casing may be provided below the water tank.

And an open protrusion protruding upwardly from the inside of the connector body and inserted into the tank outlet portion when the water tank is installed to open the check valve inside the tank outlet portion can be extended.

The sealing member may have a sealing rib protruding inwardly on the inner side of the sealing member and closely contacting the outer surface of the tank outlet.

The dispenser-side connection portion and the ice maker-side connection portion are formed to have a downward inclination, and the extraction nozzle of the dispenser and the pump for supplying water by the ice maker may be located below the connection portion of the dispenser and the connection portion of the ice maker Do.

In the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be expected.

The water tank mounted on the inner side can be supplied with water to the dispenser, and at the same time, water can be supplied to the ice maker, thereby improving the usability.

The water supplied from the detachable water tank can be supplied to the dispenser and the pump by its own weight, and the upper ice maker can supply water by driving the pump. Thus, the water can be supplied to both the dispenser and the ice maker Water supply becomes possible, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the productivity can be improved.

When the water tank is mounted, the connector automatically communicates with the water tank, and water can be supplied to the dispenser and the ice maker without any additional operation, thereby improving the usability.

In addition, the structure in which the dispenser and the ice maker are disposed on the door separated from each other can have a structure capable of supplying water simultaneously through a single water tank. In particular, Convenience and manufacturing cost can be expected at the same time.

In addition, a simple structure of the connector and the pump provides a structure capable of supplying water to both the dispenser and the ice maker, thereby enabling a compact configuration.

In addition, the automatic water supply of the ice maker inside the freezing chamber door can be made possible through the water tank detachable to the door of the refrigerating chamber, and the convenience of water supply can be improved, and automatic supply and deicing can be performed without any water connection, It is expected that the convenience of supplying ice is improved.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing the door of the refrigerator opened.
3 is an exploded perspective view showing a water tank mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing an arrangement of an ice maker assembly, a water tank, and a water supply structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 'of FIG.
6 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling structure of a dispenser and a tank connecting member according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an exploded perspective view of the tank connecting member.
8 is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view showing a state of water flow in the tank connecting member.
10 is a schematic view of the entire water flow path of the refrigerator.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the scope of the present invention to the embodiment shown, and that other embodiments falling within the scope of the present invention may be easily devised by adding, Can be proposed.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a view showing the door of the refrigerator opened.

As shown in the drawing, a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 10 for forming a storage space, and a door 20 for opening and closing an opened front face of the cabinet 10, .

A refrigerating chamber (12) and a freezing chamber (11) are vertically partitioned in the cabinet (10). The refrigerating chamber 12 is formed in the lower portion of the cabinet 10 and the freezing chamber 11 may be provided in the upper portion of the cabinet 10. Although not shown, the cabinet 10 may include a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion device, which constitute a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage space.

The door 20 may be composed of a refrigerating chamber door 22 for opening and closing the refrigerating chamber 12 and a freezing chamber door 21 for opening and closing the freezing chamber 11. Meanwhile, since the refrigerator compartment door 22 is located at the lower side, the lower door and the freezer compartment door 21 are located above the refrigerator compartment door.

The refrigerator compartment door 22 and the freezer compartment door 21 may be rotatably mounted to the cabinet 10. A center hinge 13 may be provided between the refrigerator compartment door 22 and the freezer compartment door 21 to rotatably support the refrigerator compartment door 22 and the freezer compartment door 21.

The upper end of the refrigerating chamber door 22 and the lower end of the freezing chamber door 21 can be axially coupled by the center hinge 13. [ The hinge shaft of the center hinge 13 may be formed to be hollow as shown in FIG. 4. A pipe through which water flows between the refrigerator compartment door 22 and the freezing compartment door 21 may be passed through the hollow.

 The upper end of the refrigerating compartment door 22 and the lower end of the freezing compartment door 21 are axially coupled by a separate unshown hinge to support the refrigerator compartment door 22 and the freezing compartment door 21 in a rotatable manner have.

The freezer compartment door 21 may be provided with an ice maker assembly 30. The ice maker assembly 30 includes a case 31 mounted on the back surface of the freezing chamber door 21, an ice maker 33 provided inside the case 31 to make ice, And an ice drawer 32 for storing ice made by the ice maker.

The ice maker 33 may include an auto ice maker in which water for ice-making is automatically supplied and then ice is automatically removed when ice-making is completed. The structure of the auto ice maker is a general technique, and an auto ice maker having various structures may be applied to the present invention.

The ice drawer 32 may be provided below the ice maker 33 and may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the case 31. The user can remove the ice from the ice drawer 32 and use it.

Meanwhile, a dispenser 70 capable of taking out water from the outside of the refrigerator compartment door 22 may be provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 22. The dispenser 70 may include a dispenser case 71 that provides a space recessed from the front surface of the refrigerating compartment door 22. Of course, at least a part of the recessed space of the dispenser 70 may be formed by recessing the outer case 31 forming the outer surface of the refrigerator compartment door 22.

The dispenser 70 may be provided with a cover plate 73 for shielding the extraction nozzle 75 from which water is taken out. The lower end of the dispenser 70 may be provided with a tray 74 for collecting residual water generated when the water is taken out. The dispenser 70 may be provided with a take-out lever 72 for operating to take out water through the take-out nozzle 75. The water can be taken out through the extraction nozzle 75 by the operation of the extraction lever 72. [

A water tank 40 may be provided on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door 22. The water tank 40 may be provided at the upper end of the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door 22. That is, the water tank 40 may be positioned higher than the dispenser 70. The water discharged from the water tank 40 can be supplied to the dispenser 70 by its own weight and can be taken out through the extraction nozzle 75 when the extraction lever 72 is operated.

Hereinafter, the water tank 40 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing a water tank mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the water tank 40 may include a tank body 41 having a space for receiving water and a cover 42 for opening and closing the tank body 41. The tank body 41 may be formed of a material at least partially transparent so that the water level of the water stored therein can be confirmed.

A tank outlet 43 may be formed at one side of the circumference of the tank body 41, which includes a lower surface or a lower surface. The tank outlet portion 43 is formed in a tubular shape extending downward and is configured to communicate with a tank connecting member 50 formed on the rear surface of the refrigerating chamber door 22. [ Therefore, in the state that the water tank 40 is mounted, water in the water tank 40 can be supplied to the tank connecting member 50.

The tank outlet 43 may extend vertically downward or in an inclined direction and may be formed into a tubular shape that can be inserted into the tank connecting member 50. A check valve may be provided in the tank outlet 43. Therefore, when the water tank 40 is separated from the refrigerator compartment door 22, the check valve is closed and the water in the water tank 40 is not discharged, When the water tank 40 is mounted on the door 22, the check valve is opened and water in the water tank 40 can be supplied through the tank connecting member 50.

To this end, the tank connecting member 50 is mounted on the door liner 222, and the connecting member case may be exposed through the tank mounting portion 224. The tank connecting member 50 may be provided with an upper depression 511 which is recessed to receive the tank outlet 43. The connector inlet 621 of the connector 60 into which the tank outlet 43 is inserted may be exposed to the inside of the upper depression 511. The construction of the tank connecting member 50 will be described in more detail below.

The tank cover 42 can open and close the opened surface of the tank body 41 and fill the water inside the tank body 41 through the opening of the tank cover 42. That is, the user confirms the water level of the water stored in the water tank 40 through the tank body 41 and then opens the tank cover 42 when it is determined that the water replenishment is necessary, Fill the water. The water tank 40 may be filled with water in a state where it is mounted on the refrigerator compartment door 22 and may be installed in the refrigerator compartment door 22 after the water tank 40 is separated and filled with water There will be.

The water tank 40 is mounted on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door 22 and is located in the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 when the refrigerator compartment door 22 is closed. Therefore, the water contained in the water tank 40 can be cooled at a low temperature by the cold air in the refrigerating chamber 12. [ Accordingly, the cooled water can be supplied through the dispenser 70.

Meanwhile, the refrigerator compartment door 22 may include an out plate 221 forming a front exterior and a door liner 222 forming a rear exterior. A plurality of door baskets 223 may be detachably provided on the door liner 222. A tank mounting portion 224 recessed inward may be formed at an upper end of the door liner 222 forming the back surface of the refrigerating chamber door 22.

The tank mounting portion 224 is formed to support at least the lower end and the left and right sides of the water tank 40. The tank mounting portion 224 may be provided with a coupling structure with the water tank 40 and the water tank 40 may not be separated from the water tank 40 even when the refrigerating chamber door 22 is rotated. The tank connecting member 50 is provided on the inner side of the tank mounting portion 224 so that the tank connecting portion 50 can communicate with the tank outlet portion 43 when the water tank 40 is completely mounted on the tank mounting portion 224. [ have.

4 is a view showing an arrangement of an ice maker assembly, a water tank, and a water supply structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the ice maker assembly 30 may be mounted on the rear surface of the freezer compartment door 21. At this time, the case 31 may be coupled to a mounting bracket 34 provided on the rear surface of the freezer compartment door 21. The mounting bracket 34 may be at least partially exposed through a door liner forming the back surface of the freezer compartment door 21. The mounting bracket 34 may be provided with the connector portion 341 and the water pipe connection portion 342.

The connector 341 may be connected to one side of the ice maker 33 by male and female connectors and wires for communication and power supply to the ice maker 33 may be connected. The water pipe connection part 342 may be connected to the ice maker 33 to connect the ice maker pipe 23 for supplying water to the water tank 40.

An ice maker 33 is provided on the upper portion of the case 31 and a plurality of cooling holes 311 for supplying cold air to the ice maker 33 may be formed on the upper surface of the case 31 have. An ice drawer 32 capable of being drawn out from the case 31 may be provided under the ice maker 33. Further, a drawer for storing food may be further provided below the ice drawer 32.

The refrigerator compartment door 22 may be provided with the water tank 40. The water tank 40 may communicate with the tank connecting member 50 when the water tank 40 is mounted. A pump case 25 may be provided on one side of the tank connecting member 50.

The pump case 25 may be provided with a pump 24 for supplying the water supplied from the water tank 40 to the upper ice maker 33. The pump 24 may be accommodated in a pump mounting portion 251 formed inside the pump case 25. The tank connecting member 50 and the pump 24 may be connected to each other by a connection pipe 231. Meanwhile, the pump 24 may be connected to one end of the piping 23 on the ice maker side.

Therefore, when the pump 24 is driven, the water supplied from the water tank 40 flows to the pump 24 through the connection pipe 231 and flows through the pump 24 to the ice maker- Can be supplied upward to the ice maker (33).

At this time, the ice maker pipe 23 passes through the hinge shaft of the center hinge 13 in the process of passing through the refrigerator compartment door 22 and toward the freezing compartment door 21. Therefore, the ice maker side pipe 23 is not exposed to the outside, and is not interfered with when the refrigerator compartment door 22 and the freezer compartment door 21 are rotated.

The ice maker-side pipe 23 may have a structure in which a plurality of pipes are connected to each other. For example, as shown in the drawing, the ice maker side pipe 23 includes a first pipe 232 extending from the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12 to the center hinge 13 and a second pipe 232 extending from the center hinge 13 to the ice maker And a second pipe 233 extending to the second pipe 233. At this time, the first pipe 232 and the second pipe 233 may be connected to each other at the center hinge 13.

Hereinafter, the dispenser 70 and the tank connecting member 50 will be described in more detail.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 'of FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling structure of a dispenser and a tank connecting member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the dispenser 70 may be provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 22. The dispenser (70) can form a recessed space by the dispenser case (71). The dispenser case 71 may be configured to support the front surface of the depressed refrigerator compartment door 22.

The dispenser case 71 includes an upper case 711 forming an upper portion of the dispenser 70 and a lower case 712 forming a lower portion of the dispenser case 71. The upper case 711, And a case connecting portion 713 connecting the lower case 712.

The upper housing 711a may be recessed in the upper case 711. The upper accommodating portion 711a may be opened forward, and the takeout nozzle 75 and the takeout lever 72 may be provided therein. At least a part of the upper accommodating portion 711a in which the blowout nozzle 75 is disposed may be shielded by the upper cover 42. [ To this end, a cover engaging portion 711b coupled to the upper cover 42 may be formed on the inner side of the upper accommodating portion 711a.

A pipe connecting portion 751 connected to the dispenser-side pipe 76 is formed at an upper end of the take-out nozzle 75. The dispenser side pipe 76 is provided inside the refrigerating chamber door 22 and has one end connected to the extraction nozzle 75 through the upper accommodating portion 711a and the other end connected to the tank connecting member 50 Side connection portion 63 of the connector 60 provided on the dispenser side. The water in the water tank 40 flows into the dispenser side piping 76 through the dispenser side connecting portion 63 of the connector 60 and flows through the dispensing nozzle 75 ).

At this time, a take-out valve 752 for opening / closing a flow path connected to the take-out nozzle 75 or the take-out nozzle 75 may be further provided on one side of the take-out nozzle 75 or the upper accommodating portion 711a. The take-out valve 752 can be opened or closed by the operation of the take-out lever 72.

The lower receiving portion 712a is formed in the lower end of the dispenser 70, that is, the lower case 712, and forms a space in which the dispenser tray 74 is detachably mounted. A tray coupling portion 712b for coupling with the dispenser tray 74 may be further formed on the bottom surface of the lower receiving portion 712a.

The case connection portions 713 are formed of a pair and extend from both sides of the upper end of the lower receiving portion 712a to a lower end of the upper receiving portion 711a. The gap between the upper receiving portion 711a and the lower receiving portion 712a can be maintained by the case connecting portion 713. [

7 is an exploded perspective view of the tank connecting member. 8 is a sectional view of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the tank connecting member 50 may include the connecting member case and the connector 60 mounted on the connecting member case.

In detail, the connection member case may be formed of a plastic material, and the connector 60 is fixedly mounted so that the dispenser side pipe 76 and the connection pipe 231 can be connected. In addition, the connection member case may have a structure in which the tank outlet portion 43 of the water tank 40 can be inserted.

The connection member case may include a case upper portion 51 and a case lower portion 52. The case upper part 51 may be exposed to the outside of the door liner 222 and the case lower part 52 may be positioned inside the door liner 222. The case upper part 51 may be connected to the water tank 40 and the case lower part 52 may be provided with the connector 60.

The case upper part 51 forms an upper part of the connecting member case and has an upper depressed part 511 formed at the center thereof and an upper edge 512 formed around the upper depressed part 511 . Therefore, when the tank connecting member 50 is mounted on the refrigerator compartment door 22, the upper depression 511 can be exposed through the back surface of the refrigerator compartment door 22.

Meanwhile, the upper rim 512 may be adhesively fixed to the door liner 222. The upper rim 512 may correspond to the shape of the upper depression 511 and may include a vertical portion 512a contacting the back surface of the tank mounting portion 224 and a horizontal portion 512a contacting the lower surface of the tank mounting portion 224. [ And a unit 512b.

The upper surface of the connector 60 can be exposed on the inner surface of the upper depression 511. The upper depressed portion 511 may be exposed to the inside of the tank mounting portion 224 when the refrigerator compartment door 22 is viewed from the rear side and the connector 60 may be provided inside the upper depressed portion 511, The connector inlet 621 on the upper surface is exposed and can communicate with the water tank 40.

The case lower part 52 forms the lower part of the connecting member case. The lower case 52 extends from the lower end of the upper case 51 and may include a lower depression 521 that opens forward and a lower edge 524 that surrounds the lower depression 521.

The upper end of the lower depression part 521 may be in contact with the horizontal part 512b and the upper surface of the lower depression part 521 may communicate with the lower depression part 521 A communication part 522 may be formed. The communication part 522 may extend to the inside of the lower depression part 521 and may be connected to the upper surface of the connector 60.

In addition, a pipe hole 523 that opens rearward may be formed on one side of the inner surface of the lower depression (521). The pipe hole 523 may be open at a position corresponding to the ice maker side connection portion 64 of the connector and may be connected to the connection pipe 64 or the connection pipe 64 connected to the ice maker side connection portion 64 231 are allowed to pass.

The lower depression part 521 may be located at a rear side corresponding to the dispenser 70 and the dispenser side connection part 63 of the connector 60 housed inside the lower depression part 521 may be connected to the dispenser 70, respectively.

On the other hand, the connector 60 can be received inside the lower depression part 521. The connector 60 may be coupled to the communicating portion 522 and communicate with the upper depressed portion 511 inside the lower depressed portion 521. The dispenser side connection portion 63 of the connector 60 is disposed to face the dispenser 70 and may be connected to the dispenser side piping 76. The ice maker side connection portion 64 of the connector 60 may extend to the vicinity of the pump 24 and may be connected to the connection pipe 231 connected to the pump 24.

8, the connector 60 includes a connector body 61 that forms a flow path as a whole, a connector body 61 that is connected to the connector body 61 and the water tank 40, And a sealing member 62 that hermetically seals therebetween.

In detail, the connector body 61 may be formed by injection molding with a plastic material, and the upper end may be opened. The lower end of the connector body 61 is branched in forward and backward directions to connect the dispenser side connecting portion 63 and the ice maker side connecting portion 64 .

The upper end of the connector body 61 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having an upper surface opened and extending upward. In detail, the upper end of the connector body 61 may be formed with a sealing member engaging portion 611 to which the sealing member 62 is coupled. The lower end of the sealing member engaging portion 611 may have a stepped structure inward and may be configured to support the lower end of the sealing member 62.

An outlet connection portion 612 may be formed below the sealing member engaging portion 611. The outlet connection portion 612 may be formed to correspond to the outer diameter of the tank outlet portion 43 so that the lower end of the tank outlet portion 43 can be supported when the water tank 40 is installed .

An opening protrusion 613 extending upward may be formed on the bottom surface of the outlet connection portion 612. The opening protrusion 613 is spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the tank outlet 43 to form a space. The opening protrusion 613 is opened by pressing the check valve 431 inside the tank outlet 43 when the tank outlet 43 is inserted into the outlet connection part 612 . At this time, the end of the tank outlet part 43 may be inserted into the space 614 between the circumferential surface of the outlet connection part 612 and the opening protrusion 613. [ A plurality of the opening protrusions 613 may be formed along the bottom surface of the outlet connection portion 612 and the entire check valve 431 may be uniformly and upwardly moved.

An outlet portion 615 may be formed below the outlet connection portion 612. The dispenser side connection portion 63 and the ice maker side connection portion 64 may be formed by being depressed downward and branched to both sides. Therefore, the water exiting the water tank 40 may be branched by the water outlet portion 615 and supplied to the dispenser-side connection portion 63 and the ice-maker-side connection portion 64.

The dispenser side connection portion 63 and the ice maker side connection portion 64 are formed to have a downward inclination so that the water branched by the water outlet portion 615 is connected to the dispenser side connection portion 63 and the ice maker side connection portion 64, Can be flowed by its own weight along the slope of the slit (64). The extraction nozzle 75 and the pump 24 communicating with the dispenser side connection portion 63 and the ice maker side connection portion 64 are connected to the dispenser side connection portion 63 and the ice maker side connection portion 64 So that water can be supplied by its own weight.

A side fixing portion 65 may be formed at the lower end of the connector body 61 so as to extend in a horizontal direction, that is, a direction intersecting the extension direction of the connection portion 63 of the dispenser and the connection portion 64 of the ice maker have. The side fixing portion 65 may extend in both the left and right directions between the dispenser side connection portion 63 and the ice maker side connection portion 64. The side fixing part 65 may be fixed to both sides of the lower depression part 521 and a screw penetrating the lower depression part 521 may be fastened to be fixed inside the lower depression part 521 have.

The side fixing portion 65 may have a shaft shape and may be axially coupled to the inside of the lower depression portion 521. In this case, the connector 60 can be formed to allow the connector 60 to flow somewhat around the side fixing portion 65, and thus the connection with the water tank 40 or the connection with the dispenser side pipe 76 ) And the connection pipe 231 may be easily connected.

A lower fixing part 66 may be formed at the lower end of the connector body 61. The lower fixing part may extend downward between the dispenser side connection part 63 and the ice maker side connection part 64. The lower fixing part 66 may extend along the side fixing part 65.

A screw hole 661 may be formed at the center of the lower fixing part 66 and the connector 60 may be fixed to the inside of the lower depression part 521 by a screw fastened to the screw hole 661 . At this time, the connector 60 can be fixed at three points by the side fixing portion 65 and the bottom fixing portion 66, and a stable coupling structure can be provided inside the lower depression portion 521 .

When the connector 60 is fixed, the side fixing portion 65 is first fixed to fix the connector 60 to the lower fixing portion 66 in a rotatable state, and then the dispenser side pipe 76, The lower fixing portion 66 may be fixed after the connection pipe 231 is connected to facilitate the connection operation of the pipes 76 and 231 and stably fix the connector 60. [

The sealing member 62 may be fixed to the sealing member engaging portion 611 at the upper end of the connector body 61. The sealing member 62 may be formed of rubber or silicone material and may be positioned inside the communicating portion 522 of the upper depression 511 while being fixed to the sealing member engaging portion 611 . The tank outlet portion 43 of the water tank 40 can be inserted into the connector inlet 621 at the upper end of the sealing member 62 when the water tank 40 is mounted.

In detail, the upper surface of the sealing member 62 is opened to form the connector inlet 621, and may have a shape corresponding to the outer diameter of the tank outlet 43. A plurality of sealing ribs 623 projecting at the center may be formed on the inner surface of the sealing member 62. The sealing rib 623 may be formed along the inner surface of the sealing member 62 and may have an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the tank outlet 43. Therefore, when the tank outlet 43 is inserted, the sealing rib 623 is brought into close contact with the periphery of the tank outlet 43 to seal the space between the tank outlet 43 and the connector 60 . A plurality of the sealing ribs 623 may be provided, and the sealing ribs 623 may be spaced apart from each other to maintain a more effective airtightness.

An inner extension 622 and an outer extension 625 may be formed on the lower portion of the sealing member 62. The inner extension 622 and the outer extension 625 may be spaced apart from each other, A space through which the upper end of the sealing member engaging portion 611 can be inserted may be formed between the outer extending portion 622 and the outer extending portion 625.

Therefore, when the sealing member 62 is mounted, the upper end of the sealing member engaging portion 611 is coupled between the inner extending portion 622 and the outer extending portion 625 so that the sealing member 62 is fixedly mounted can do. At this time, the inner extension part 622 may be provided with a restricting protrusion 624 extending in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the sealing member engaging part 611. A plurality of the locking protrusions 624 may be formed and the sealing member 62 and the connector body 61 may be firmly coupled to each other by pressing the outer side of the sealing member engaging portion 611. Therefore, even when the water tank 40 is repeatedly attached and detached, the sealing member 62 can be maintained in a coupled state without being separated from the connector body 61.

Hereinafter, a process of supplying water from the water tank 40 to the dispenser 70 and the ice maker 33 in the refrigerator 1 having the above structure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. do.

9 is a view showing a state of water flow in the tank connecting member. 10 is a view schematically showing the entire water flow path of the refrigerator.

As shown in the drawing, the user fills the water tank 40 in a state where the water tank 40 is mounted on the tank mounting portion 224 or in the separated state. When the water tank 40 is mounted on the tank mounting portion 224, the tank outlet portion 43 is inserted into the inside of the connector 60. At this time, The check valve 431 in the tank outlet 43 is opened and water can be supplied.

A part of the water flowing into the inside of the connector 60 can be discharged to the dispenser side pipe 76 through the dispenser side connecting part 63 branched from the tank outlet part 43 inside the connector 60 And may be supplied to the dispenser 70. In this state, if the user operates the take-out lever 72 in a state in which preparation for taking out water through the dispenser 70 is completed, water can be taken out through the take-out nozzle 75.

A part of the water flowing into the inside of the connector 60 flows out to the connection pipe 231 via the ice maker side connection part 64 branched from the tank outlet part 43 inside the connector 60 And can be supplied to the pump 24. In this state, when a signal for supplying water to the ice maker 33 is generated, driving of the pump 24 is started. When the pump 24 is driven, the water is supplied to the ice maker 33 through the ice- The water of the tank 40 can be supplied.

At this time, the water supplied by the driving of the pump 24 flows along the first pipe 232 and the second pipe 233 constituting the piping 23 of the ice maker, and the center hinge 13 To the freezer compartment door 21 above the refrigerator compartment door 22.

The supply of water to the ice maker 33 is automatically performed and after the water of the set flow rate is supplied to the ice maker 33 the driving of the pump 24 is stopped and the ice maker 33 is stopped, Thereby terminating the supply of water.

Claims (17)

A cabinet forming a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment;
A refrigerator compartment door for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment;
A freezing chamber door for opening and closing the freezing chamber;
A dispenser formed on a front surface of the refrigerator compartment door;
An ice maker provided in the freezing chamber door;
A water tank detachably provided on the door above the dispenser and supplied with its own weight at the time of installation;
And a tank connecting member which is provided in the refrigerator compartment door and is connected to the water tank when the water tank is installed, and forms a channel branched to the dispenser and the ice maker.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the freezer compartment is located above the refrigerator compartment.
3. The method of claim 2,
The cabinet is provided with a center hinge for rotatably supporting the refrigerator compartment door and the freezer compartment door between the refrigerator compartment door and the freezer compartment door,
Wherein the center hinge is hollow, and a pipe for supplying water from the tank connecting member to the ice maker is passed through the center hinge.
The method according to claim 1,
The tank connecting member
A case upper portion that exposes a space recessed into the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door; And
And a lower portion of the case where a space recessed by the dispenser side is opened,
And a connector communicating with the water tank is provided at a lower portion of the case.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the lower part of the case is positioned above the take-off line of the dispenser so that the water in the water tank is discharged to the dispenser by its own weight.
5. The method of claim 4,
A tank mounting portion for supporting a lower surface and both side surfaces of the water tank is formed on a rear surface of the door,
And the connector inlet opened at one side of the connector and connected to the water tank is exposed on a lower surface of the tank mounting portion.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the water tank comprises:
A tank body in which the water is stored;
A tank cover for opening and closing the tank body;
And a tank outlet protruding from the tank body and inserted into the tank connecting member when the tank body is mounted on the refrigerator chamber door.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the connector comprises:
A case body which receives water from the tank outlet portion and is branched to the dispenser-side connecting portion and the ice maker-side connecting portion;
And a sealing member mounted on an opened upper end of the case body to seal the space between the case body and the outlet of the tank.
9. The method of claim 8,
The dispenser-side connection portion extends toward the dispenser,
And the ice maker side connection portion extends in a direction opposite to the connection side of the dispenser.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the case body is formed with a side fixing portion extending in a direction intersecting the connection portion of the dispenser and the connection portion of the ice maker and being fixed to both sides of the tank connecting member.
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the side fixing portion is axially coupled to rotate the connector.
12. The method of claim 11,
And a lower fixing part extended downward from the lower end of the case body and fixed to the tank fixing member between the side fixing parts.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the refrigerator compartment door is connected to a branched one side of the tank connection part and is provided with a pump for supplying water to the ice maker.
14. The method of claim 13,
And a pump case to which the pump is mounted is provided on a rear surface of the door, and the pump case is provided below the water tank.
9. The method of claim 8,
And an opening protrusion protruding upwardly from the inside of the connector body and inserted into the tank outlet portion when the water tank is installed to open the check valve inside the tank outlet portion.
9. The method of claim 8,
And a sealing rib protruding inwardly from the inside of the sealing member and closely contacting an outer surface of the outlet of the tank.
9. The method of claim 8,
The dispenser-side connection portion and the ice maker-side connection portion are formed to have a descending slope,
Wherein the extraction nozzle of the dispenser and the pump for supplying water to the ice maker are positioned below the connection portion of the dispenser and the connection portion of the ice maker.

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