KR20220167867A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator comprises: a cabinet having a storage space; a door opening and closing the storage space; and a dispenser provided to the door and collecting at least one between water or ice. The dispenser comprises: a first side wall and a second side wall connecting an upper wall and a lower wall; a dispenser housing having a rear wall which can be moved with respect to the first side wall and the second side wall; and a detection unit for detecting movement of the rear wall when the rear wall is compressed to be moved.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

This specification relates to a refrigerator.

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that stores food at a low temperature in an internal storage space shielded by a refrigerator door, and cools the inside of the storage space using cold air generated through heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating in a refrigerating cycle. It is configured to keep the stored food in an optimal condition.

Refrigerators are gradually becoming larger and multi-functional in accordance with changes in eating habits and the trend of high quality products, and refrigerators equipped with various structures and convenient devices considering user convenience are being released.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1221763, which is a prior document, discloses a structure for mounting a control lever of a dispenser of a refrigerator.

In the case of the prior literature, in a dispenser provided on one side of a door of a refrigerator for external dispensing of beverages or ice, a dispenser casing formed recessed into the door to form the inner shape of the dispenser, and a recess in the dispenser casing It is provided on the surface and includes a control lever for controlling the operation of the dispenser.

The control lever is formed in a plate shape and includes a contact portion contacting a cup for receiving beverage or ice, and a first coupling portion formed below the rear surface of the contact portion and hinged to the recessed surface of the dispenser casing.

The control lever presses an upper portion of the contact portion so that the contact portion is rotated about the first coupling portion as an axis.

However, since the control lever of the prior art protrudes while being coupled to the recessed surface of the dispenser casing, the control lever acts as an obstacle during the cleaning process of the dispenser casing, making cleaning difficult.

In addition, since the size of the control lever is considerably smaller than that of the recessed surface of the dispenser casing, since the control lever must be accurately pressed, the user's operation convenience is low.

In addition, since the control lever must be accurately pressed, in the case of a container having a large volume, there is a disadvantage in that the control lever cannot be pressed.

This embodiment provides a refrigerator in which the cleanability of the dispenser housing can be improved.

The present embodiment provides a refrigerator in which a protruding lever does not exist and the rear wall of the dispenser housing serves as a manipulation surface, so that aesthetics can be improved.

This embodiment provides a refrigerator capable of increasing the size of a container capable of pressurizing an operating surface.

A refrigerator according to one aspect includes a cabinet having a storage space; a door opening and closing the storage space; and a dispenser provided on the door and capable of dispensing at least one of water and ice.

The dispenser includes an upper wall, a lower wall, first and second sidewalls connecting the upper and lower walls, and a rear wall movable with respect to the first and second sidewalls Dispenser housing And, when the rear wall is pressed and moved, it may include a sensing unit for sensing the movement of the rear wall.

The dispenser may include a discharge part extending from the upper wall and having a passage for water or ice located therein. An upper end of the rear wall may be positioned higher than a lower end of the discharge unit.

A horizontal distance between an upper end of the rear wall and the opening of the dispenser housing may be greater than a horizontal distance between a lower end of the rear wall and the opening of the dispenser housing.

An upper end of the rear wall may be positioned behind the discharge unit, and a lower end of the rear wall may overlap with the discharge unit in a vertical direction.

A distance between the first sidewall and the second sidewall may decrease as the distance from the opening of the dispenser housing increases.

A length of the rear sidewall in the left-right direction may be longer than lengths of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall in the left-right direction.

The dispenser housing may include a first extension wall extending from the first sidewall and a second extension wall extending from the second sidewall. The first extension wall and the second extension wall may be positioned to face each other. When the rear wall is pressed, at least a portion of the rear wall may be positioned between the first extension wall and the second extension wall.

When the rear wall is pressed, the rear wall may rotate about a rotation center. A rotation center of the rear wall may be located closer to a lower end than an upper end of the rear wall.

The center of rotation of the rear wall may be located closer to the lower end than a point at which a vertical height of the rear wall is bisected.

The sensing unit may be located behind the rear wall and higher than the center of rotation.

The sensing unit may be positioned closer to a point at which a vertical height of the rear wall is bisected than a lower end of the rear wall.

The upper wall may include a stopper that limits movement of the rear wall when the rear wall is pressed.

A refrigerator according to another aspect includes a cabinet having a storage space; a door opening and closing the storage space; and a dispenser provided on the door and capable of dispensing at least one of water or ice, wherein the dispenser includes an upper wall, a lower wall, a first side wall connecting the upper wall and the lower wall, and a first side wall connecting the upper wall and the lower wall. A dispenser housing including two side walls and a rear wall positioned between the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein the rear wall includes a fixed wall connected to the first side wall and the second side wall, and the fixed wall It may include a movable wall movable with respect to.

The rear of the movable wall may include a sensing unit for sensing movement of the movable wall when the movable wall is moved by being pressed. A front area of the movable wall may be greater than a front area of the fixed wall.

A ratio of a horizontal length of the fixed wall to a horizontal length of the movable wall may be 0.8 or more, and a ratio of a height of the fixed wall to a height of the movable wall may be 0.8 or more.

The dispenser may include a discharge part extending from the upper wall and having a passage for water or ice located therein. An upper end of the movable wall may be positioned higher than a lower end of the discharge unit.

A length of the movable wall in the left-right direction may be longer than lengths of the first sidewall and the second sidewall in the left-right direction.

In the case of this embodiment, the dispenser housing includes a rear wall serving as a control unit, and the rear wall forms a rear surface of the dispenser housing. Accordingly, aesthetics of the dispenser housing may be improved, and cleanability of the dispenser housing may be improved.

In addition, since the entire rear wall serves as a manipulation unit, there is an advantage in that the size of a cup or container capable of pressing the manipulation surface can be increased.

In addition, since the center of rotation and the sensing unit are located at a position lower than the central portion of the rear wall, there is an advantage in that the sensing unit can accurately detect manipulation of the rear wall.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment;
2 is a view showing a dispenser provided on a refrigerator door;
3 is a view showing a discharge unit in the dispenser of FIG. 2;
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a lighting module and a sterilization module of this embodiment.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a sterilization module installed on the opening side of the discharge pipe according to this embodiment.
6 is a block diagram for controlling the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.
7 is a view showing a state in which the rear wall of the dispenser housing is not manipulated.
8 is a view showing a state in which the rear wall is manipulated in the dispenser housing;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along 9-9 in Figure 7;
10 is a cross-sectional view taken along 10-10 of FIG. 8;
11 is a cross-sectional view taken along 11-11 of FIG. 9;
12 is a cross-sectional view taken along 12-12 of FIG. 10;
13 is a front view of a dispenser according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing an embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function hinders understanding of the embodiment of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Also, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used to describe components of an embodiment of the present invention. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term. When an element is described as being “connected,” “coupled to,” or “connected” to another element, that element may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but there may be another element between the elements. It should be understood that may be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment, FIG. 2 is a view showing a dispenser provided in a refrigerator door, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a discharge unit of the dispenser of FIG. 2 .

4 is a perspective view showing a lighting module and a sterilization module according to this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the sterilization module installed on the opening side of the discharge pipe according to this embodiment. 6 is a block diagram for controlling the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

1 to 6 , the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment may include a cabinet 10 having a storage space and a refrigerator door 20 opening and closing the storage space.

The storage space is not limited, but may be divided into an upper first space 11 and a lower second space 12, and the refrigerator door 20 also opens and closes the first space 11. It may include one door 21 and a second door 22 that opens and closes the second space 12 .

The first space 11 may be a refrigerating compartment, and the second space 12 may be a freezing compartment or vice versa. Alternatively, it is also possible that the storage space includes a first space and a second space divided into left and right sides. Alternatively, the storage space may be a single space, and a single refrigerator door may open and close the storage space.

At least one of the first door 21 and the second door 22 may be a rotation type door. Alternatively, the single refrigerator door 20 may be a rotation type door.

In this embodiment, the two first doors 21 are disposed left and right will be described as an example.

The first door 21 may be rotatably connected to the cabinet 10 by a hinge device.

Any one of the two first doors 21 may include the dispenser 100 . The dispenser 100 may dispense water and/or ice. 1 shows that the dispenser 100 is provided in the first door 21 on the left side as an example.

The dispenser 100 may include a dispenser housing 110 . A portion of the dispenser housing 110 may be recessed backward to form a space 220 in which a cup or container may be placed.

The dispenser housing 110 includes an upper wall 220, a lower wall 230, side walls 240 and 250 connecting the lower wall 230 and the upper wall 220, and a rear wall 210 ) may be included.

The upper wall 220 , the lower wall 230 , the side walls 240 and 550 , and the rear wall 210 define the space 200 .

The lower wall 230 may support a cup or container. The rear wall 210 may be movably disposed in the dispenser housing 110 . In this embodiment, the rear wall 210 serves as a control unit manipulated by a user to input a water or ice extraction command. At this time, the front surface of the rear wall 210 serves as a manipulation surface.

A protrusion 212 may be formed on the front surface of the rear side wall 210 so that a user can recognize that it is a manipulation surface.

The dispenser 100 may further include a discharge part through which water and/or ice passes. The discharge unit may further include a first body 130 . The first body 130 may be disposed in a form protruding into the space 200 .

For example, the first body 130 is disposed in a form protruding downward from the upper wall 220 and may be spaced apart from the rear wall 210 and the side walls 240 and 250 .

The first body 130 may serve as a display unit. For example, the first body 130 includes a round portion 131 provided with buttons 133, 134, and 135, and a straight portion 132 extending rearward from both ends of the round portion 131. can do. In practice, the round part 131 may serve as a display part.

The round part 131 may be located behind the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110 .

The buttons 133 , 134 , and 135 may be arranged in a horizontal direction in the round portion 131 .

The buttons 133, 134, and 135 may include first to third buttons.

The first button 133 is a water selection button selected to switch to a state in which water can be taken out. The second button 134 and the third button 135 are ice selection buttons that are selected to switch to a state in which ice can be dispensed. Also, the second button 134 and the third button 135 are buttons for selecting the type of ice.

The second button 134 is a button for selecting regular ice, and the third button 135 is a button for selecting crushed ice. Normal ice refers to ice itself generated by an ice maker (not shown), and crushed ice refers to ice in a state in which normal ice is pulverized by a blade.

Although not limited, the first button 133 may be disposed between the second button 134 and the third button 135. When the first button 133 is located in the center of the buttons, it is possible for the user to easily recognize and manipulate the first button 133 .

The dispenser 100 detects button manipulation of the buttons 133, 134, and 135, and emits light in response to the manipulated buttons 133, 134, and 135. A sensing assembly (not shown) (or a light emitting assembly) ) may further include.

The sensing assembly may be disposed within an area formed by the first body 130 . For example, the sensing assembly may be disposed to face the round part 131 from the rear side of the round part 131 .

The sensing assembly may include a switch that detects mechanical manipulation of the buttons 133, 134, and 135 or a touch sensor that detects a change in capacitance when the buttons 133, 134, and 135 are touched. can In this embodiment, it should be noted that there is no limitation on the types of sensors for detecting manipulations of the buttons 133, 134, and 135.

Although not shown, the sensing assembly may include first to third light emitting devices.

When the first button 133 is selected, light may be radiated from the first light emitting device to the first button 133 or to the periphery of the first button 133 . When the second button 134 is selected, light may be radiated from the second light emitting element to the second button 134 or to the periphery of the second button 134 . When the third button 135 is selected, light may be radiated from the third light emitting element to the third button 135 or to the periphery of the third button 135 .

The dispenser 100 may further include a transmission member 550 positioned below the first body 130 .

The dispenser 100 may further include a second body 140 positioned below the penetrating member 550 .

In this embodiment, since the first body 130 and the second body 140 are disposed protruding into the space 200, they may be collectively referred to as protruding members. The lighting member 550 may be arranged to be rounded along the circumference (circumference) of the protruding member.

The second body 140 may support the transmission member 550 . The lower end of the first body 130 and the upper end of the second body 140 are spaced apart, and the transmission member 550 is formed between the lower end of the first body 130 and the upper end of the second body 140. Some may be located.

The transmissive member 550 is a portion through which light irradiated from the lighting module 500, which will be described later, is transmitted. A user may check light transmitted through the transmission member 550 .

In this embodiment, since the transmission member 550 is positioned at the boundary between the first body 130 and the second body 140, the user can easily connect the first body 130 and the second body ( 140), it is possible to check the transmitted light at the boundary.

A radius of the second body 140 may be smaller than a radius of the round portion 132 of the first body 130 . The center of the second body 140 may coincide with the center of the round part 132 . In this case, since the second body 140 and the first body 130 are disposed in a stepped shape, the light passes through the transmissive member 550 between the first body 130 and the second body 140. When this is transmitted, the recognizability of light can be further improved.

A discharge port 150 for discharging water may be provided inside the second body 140 . The discharge port 150 may protrude downward from the second body 140 . Therefore, the user can easily check the discharge port 150 and can easily align a cup or container with the discharge port 150 .

Alternatively, the lower surface of the discharge port 150 may be positioned at the same height as the lower surface of the second body 140 .

A discharge pipe 432 of a water pipe 430 to be described later may be inserted into the discharge port 150 . That is, water is actually discharged through the discharge pipe 432 , and the discharge port 150 may serve to protect the discharge pipe 432 .

The dispenser 100 may further include an ice chute (not shown) providing a passage through which ice is discharged.

In this embodiment, the passage of water and the passage of ice may pass through the inside of the first body 130 and the second body 140 .

In this case, the discharge pipe 132 may be located in front of the ice outlet. That is, the discharge pipe 132 may be located closer to the opening 200 of the dispenser housing 110 than the ice discharge port.

The dispenser 100 may further include a lighting module 500 .

The lighting module 500 may include a lighting unit 510 and the transmissive member 550 .

The lighting unit 510 may include a lighting PCB 511 and a plurality of light emitting units 514 and 516 installed in the lighting PCB 511 . Light emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitting units 514 and 516 may pass through the transparent member 550 .

When the transparent member 550 emits light entirely along the circumference of the second body 140, aesthetics may be improved compared to the case where light is transmitted through a certain portion.

The transmission member 550 may include a round portion. The round part may be disposed to surround the ice chute.

The plurality of light emitting units 514 and 516 may include a plurality of first light emitting units 514 spaced apart in a horizontal direction and a plurality of second light emitting units 516 spaced apart in a horizontal direction.

A color of light emitted from the first light emitting unit 514 may be different from a color of light emitted from the second light emitting unit 516 . For example, the plurality of first light emitting units 514 may be BLUE LEDs, and the plurality of second light emitting units 516 may be WHITE LEDs.

The sterilization module 400 may irradiate the water pipe 430 with ultraviolet rays to sterilize the passage in the water pipe 430 and the water passing through the passage.

The sterilization module 400 may include a PCB 420 in which an ultraviolet ray generator 422 is installed, and a housing 410 accommodating the PCB 420 .

An opening 434 is provided in the water pipe 430 , and the housing 410 may be coupled to the water pipe 430 so that the ultraviolet ray generator 422 is aligned with the opening 434 .

The ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet generator 422 may reach the discharge pipe 432 located at the end of the water pipe 430 .

A transmission part 440 capable of transmitting the ultraviolet rays may be provided in the opening 434 . The transmission part 440 may restrict the flow of water toward the UV generating part 442 while permitting the transmission of light. A sealing member 434 may be coupled to the perimeter of the transmission part 440 . Water may be prevented from flowing toward the UV generator 442 and the PCB 420 by the sealing member 434 .

The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment may further include a controller 50 for overall control or control of some components.

The controller 50 may control at least the sterilization module 400 and the lighting module 500 .

The refrigerator 1 may further include a sensing unit 52 capable of detecting manipulation of the rear wall 210 .

The controller 50 controls the first light emitting unit 514 and the second light emitting unit 516 to be turned off when the sensing unit 52 does not detect manipulation of the rear wall 210. can

The controller 50 may turn on any one of the first light emitting part 514 and the second light emitting part 516 when manipulation of the rear wall 210 is detected by the sensing part 52. there is. For example, the second light emitting unit 516 may be turned on.

Then, the light emitted from the second light emitting part 516 is transmitted through the transparent member 550, and the user can check the light of the first color.

In a state in which the second light emitting part 516 is turned on, the light intensity of the second light emitting part 516 may be maintained constant or may be reduced in stages.

Regardless of the detection of manipulation of the rear wall 210 by the detector 52, when the sterilization module 400 operates, the other one of the first light emitting part 514 and the second light emitting part 516 is activated. can be made to come on. For example, the first light emitting part 514 may be turned on.

Then, the light emitted from the first light emitting part 514 is transmitted through the transparent member 550, and the user can check the light of the second color.

By checking the color of the light transmitted through the transmission member 550, the user can easily check whether the sterilization mode in which the sterilization module 400 operates is being performed.

In this embodiment, the sterilization mode may be manually selected or deselected by the user. Alternatively, the sterilization mode may be automatically selected.

When the sterilization mode is manually or automatically selected, the controller 50 may operate the sterilization module 400 and turn on the first light emitting unit 514 .

When the sterilization mode is manually selected, the sterilization module may continue to operate until the sterilization mode is released (converted to the normal mode). In this case, the first light emitting unit 214 may be turned off after being turned on for a certain period of time. In this case, the on time of the first light emitting unit 514 may be shorter than the off time. Turning on and off of the first light emitting unit 514 may be repeated until the sterilization mode is manually released.

As another example, when the sterilization mode is automatically selected, the sterilization module 400 may be installed after operating for a standard time.

In this case, the first light emitting part 514 may maintain an on state for the reference time. Alternatively, the first light emitting unit 514 may be turned off after operating for a short first time during the reference time.

In a state in which the first light emitting part 514 is turned on, the light intensity of the second light emitting part 514 may be maintained constant or may be gradually reduced.

The sterilization mode may be automatically selected at a predetermined time interval or whenever the water extraction amount reaches a reference amount.

According to this embodiment, since it is possible to sterilize the flow path of the pipe through which water flows and the discharge pipe through which water is taken out, hygiene can be improved.

In addition, since light of a specific color is transmitted through the transmission member while the sterilization mode is being performed, the user can easily confirm that the passage through which the water is discharged is being sterilized.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the user can easily check whether the dispenser is in a normal mode (non-sterilization mode) or a sterilization mode by classifying the colors transmitted through the transmission member.

In addition, according to this embodiment, since the transmissive member is disposed in a rounded shape, the user can check the light transmitted through the transmissive member regardless of the user's position.

Hereinafter, the structure of the dispenser housing will be described in detail.

7 is a view showing a state in which the rear wall of the dispenser housing is not manipulated, and FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the rear wall of the dispenser housing is manipulated.

9 is a cross-sectional view taken along 9-9 in FIG. 7, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along 10-10 in FIG.

11 is a cross-sectional view taken along 11-11 in FIG. 9, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along 12-12 in FIG.

2, 7 to 12, the dispenser housing 110, as described above, the upper wall 220, the lower wall 230, the lower wall 230 and the upper wall 220 It may include side walls 240 and 250 and a rear wall 210 connecting the .

The rear wall 210 may serve as a control unit while forming the overall appearance of the rear surface of the dispenser housing 110 . That is, the user may manipulate (press or push) the rear wall 210 to take out water or ice.

When the rear wall 210 is pressed or pushed, the rear wall 210 may rotate.

The lower end of the rear wall 210 ( 210a) may be spaced apart from the upper surface of the lower wall 230 .

However, to reduce the gap between the lower end 210a of the rear wall 210 and the upper surface of the lower wall 230, the lower end 210a of the rear wall 210 is separated from the upper surface of the lower side wall 230. may be located adjacently.

For example, a gap between the lower end 210a of the rear wall 210 and the upper surface of the lower wall 230 may be smaller than the thickness of the rear wall 210 and the thickness of the lower wall 230 .

The upper end of the rear wall 210 ( 210b) may be spaced apart from the lower surface of the upper wall 220 . However, to reduce the gap between the upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 and the lower surface of the upper wall 220, the upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 is separated from the lower surface of the upper wall 220. may be located adjacently.

For example, a gap between the lower end 210a of the rear wall 210 and the upper surface of the lower wall 230 may be smaller than the thickness of the rear wall 210 and the thickness of the lower wall 230 .

A vertical length of the rear wall 210 itself may be longer than a height 2H of the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110 .

A vertical height of the rear wall 210 may be the same as or similar to a height 2H of the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110 .

Accordingly, a part of the rear wall 210 may be located behind the first body 130 and the second body 140. That is, between the rear wall 210 and the opening 201, the The first body 130 and the second body 140 may be positioned.

The rear wall 210 may be spaced apart from the first body 130 and the second body 140 .

The rear wall 210 may be vertical or inclined with respect to the lower wall 230 .

For example, in FIG. 9 , the rear wall 210 may be inclined in a direction away from the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110 toward the upper side.

That is, the distance D1 between the lower end 210a of the rear wall 210 and the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110 is the upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 and the dispenser housing 110 is smaller than the distance D2 between the openings 201 of

An upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 may be positioned higher than a lower end of the discharge part. For example, the upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 may be positioned higher than the lower end of the second body 140 .

The upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 may be located at the rear of the first body 130, and the upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 may be located below the second body 140. there is. The upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 may be disposed to overlap the first body 130 (or the second body 140) in a vertical direction.

The rotation center C1 of the rear wall 210 may be located closer to the lower end 210b than the upper end 210b.

That is, the center of rotation C1 of the rear wall 210 may be positioned lower than a point at which the height of the opening 201 (or the vertical height of the rear wall 210) is bisected.

Also, the center of rotation C1 of the rear wall 210 may be located closer to the lower end 210a than a point at which the vertical height of the rear wall 210 is bisected.

In general, a user may press a central portion of the front surface 210c of the rear wall 210 with a cup or container. When the center of rotation C1 of the rear wall 210 is located closer to the lower end 210a than the point at which the vertical height of the rear wall 210 is halved, the rear wall 210 can be easily rotated. It is possible, and the sensing unit 52 can accurately detect the movement of the rear wall 210 .

By the arrangement of the rotation center C1, the distance D3 between the lower end 210a after manipulation of the rear wall 210 and the opening 201 is less than the lower end 210a before manipulation of the rear wall 210. and smaller than the opening 201 and the distance D1.

On the other hand, the distance D4 between the upper end 210b and the opening 201 after manipulation of the rear wall 210 is the distance D4 between the upper end 210b and the opening 201 before manipulation of the rear wall 210 ( D2) is greater than

An inclined surface 224 may be provided on a lower surface of the upper wall 220 to prevent an increase in the distance between the upper ends 210a while the rear wall 210 is manipulated. The inclined surface 224 may be inclined downward as the distance from the opening 201 increases.

A stopper 222 may be provided at an end of the upper wall 220 to limit rotation of the rear wall 210 when the rear wall 210 is rotated at a predetermined angle.

For example, the stopper 222 extends downward from the upper wall 220 and may contact the upper end 210b of the rear wall 210 .

A hinge part 214 for enabling rotation of the rear wall 210 may be provided at a rear surface of the rear wall 210 . The hinge part 214 is coupled to the rear wall 210, a part may protrude rearward, and a rotation center may be located at the protruding part.

The dispenser 100 may further include a hinge coupling portion 280 to which the hinge portion 214 is coupled. As the hinge part 214 is coupled to the hinge coupling part 280, the rear wall 210 can be rotated based on the rotation center C1.

The dispenser 100 may further include an elastic member so that the rear wall 210 is positioned in a standby state when no external force is applied to the rear wall 210 . At least a portion of the elastic member may press the rear surface of the rear wall 210 forward at a position higher than the center of rotation C1. For example, the elastic member may include a coil spring, a torsion spring, or a plate spring.

Alternatively, the elastic member may include a torsion spring disposed to surround the center of rotation.

Alternatively, at least a portion of the elastic member may pull the rear surface of the rear wall 210 at a position higher than the rotation center C1.

The sensing unit 52 is located at the rear of the rear wall 210 , and the sensing unit 52 may be located higher than the hinge unit 214 . The sensing unit 52 may be a micro switch that is turned on when the rear wall 210 is manipulated, but in this embodiment, the type of the sensing unit 52 is not limited.

The sensing unit 52 may be located close to a point where the center of rotation C1 of the rear wall 210 bisects the height of the rear wall 210 in a vertical direction. For example, the sensing unit 52 may be located closer to a point at which the height of the rear wall 210 in the vertical direction is divided into two halves than the lower end 210a of the rear wall 210 . According to this arrangement, when the central portion of the front surface 210c of the rear wall 210 is pressed, the sensing unit 52 can accurately detect the pressing of the rear wall 210 .

In this embodiment, since the rear wall 210 forms the rear surface of the dispenser housing 110, the rear wall 210 does not protrude and serves as a control unit. Accordingly, the aesthetics of the dispenser housing 110 may be improved, and the cleaning properties of the dispenser housing 110 may be improved. That is, when cleaning the dispenser housing 110 with a rag or the like, the rear wall 210 can be easily cleaned.

The side walls 240 and 250 may include a first side wall 240 and a second side wall 250 . The first sidewall 240 and the second sidewall 250 may be disposed in an inclined state.

For example, the first sidewall 240 and the second sidewall 250 may be disposed so that the distance (distance in the horizontal direction) decreases as the distance from the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110 increases.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the left-right length L1 of the rear side wall 210 may be greater than the left-right length L2 of each of the first side wall 240 and the second side wall 250 .

The left-right direction length L1 of the rear side wall 210 may be smaller than the sum of the left-right direction lengths L2 of each of the first side wall 240 and the second side wall 250 .

The horizontal length L2 of the rear wall 210 may be equal to or greater than the distance D1 between the lower end 210a of the rear wall 210 and the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110.

In addition, at least a portion of each of the first sidewall 240 and the second sidewall 250 may be inclined away from the opening 201 of the dispenser housing 110 from a lower side to an upper side.

Meanwhile, the dispenser housing 110 has an extension wall ( 270) may be further included.

The extension wall 270 may include a first extension wall 271 and a second extension wall 272 disposed to face each other.

The first extension wall 271 and the second extension wall 272 may extend in the front-rear direction and may be spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. In a state in which the rear wall 210 is pressed, at least a portion of the rear wall 210 may be positioned between the first extension wall 271 and the second extension wall 272 .

The first extension wall 271 and the second extension wall 272 are separate walls from the respective side walls 240 and 250 and are connected to the rear ends of the respective side walls 240 and 250, or each side wall 240 , 250) and may extend from the respective side walls 240 and 250.

For example, the first extension wall 271 extends away from the opening 201 at the rear end of the first side wall 240, and the second extension wall 272 extends away from the second side wall 250. ) may extend away from the opening 201 at the rear end.

Accordingly, the sensing unit 52 may be located in a space between the first extension wall 271 and the second extension wall 272 .

13 is a front view of a dispenser according to another embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment is the same as the previous embodiment in other parts, except that the rear wall includes a fixed wall and a movable wall. Therefore, only the characteristic parts of this embodiment will be described below.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the dispenser 100a of this embodiment includes a dispenser housing 110 . The dispenser housing 110 includes an upper wall 220 , a lower wall 230 , side walls 240 and 250 , and a rear wall 300 .

The rear wall 300 moves relative to the fixed wall 302 integrally formed with the upper wall 220, the lower wall 230, and both side walls 240 and 250, and the fixed wall 302. A possible movable wall 310 may be included.

The movable wall 310 serves as a control unit described in the previous embodiment. Before the movable wall 310 is manipulated, the front surface of the movable wall 310 may form a continuous surface with the front surface of the fixed wall 302 .

The fixed wall 302 may be disposed to surround the entire circumference of the movable wall 310 .

A front area of the movable wall 310 may be larger than a front area of the fixed wall 302 .

The horizontal length L3 of the fixed wall 302 is longer than the horizontal length L4 of the movable wall 310 . A ratio of the length D3 of the fixed wall 302 in the left-right direction to the length L4 of the movable wall 310 in the left-right direction may be 0.8 or more.

The height H1 of the fixed wall 302 is greater than the height H2 of the movable wall 310 . A ratio of the height H1 of the fixed wall 302 to the height H2 of the movable wall 310 may be 0.8 or more.

Thus, the movable wall 310 forms most of the outer appearance of the rear wall 300 .

A horizontal length L4 of the movable wall 310 may be longer than a horizontal length of each of the side walls 240 and 250 .

A part of the movable wall 310 is located behind the first body 130 and the second body 140 described in the previous embodiment. An upper end of the movable wall 310 may be positioned higher than a lower end of the first body 130 .

1: refrigerator 10: cabinet
20: refrigerator door 52: detection unit
100: dispenser 110: dispenser housing
200: space 201: opening
210: rear wall 220: upper wall
230: lower side wall 240: first side wall
250: second side wall 270: extension wall

Claims (15)

A cabinet having a storage space;
a door opening and closing the storage space; and
It is provided on the door and includes a dispenser for dispensing at least one of water or ice,
The dispenser,
A dispenser housing including an upper wall, a lower wall, first sidewalls and second sidewalls connecting the upper and lower walls, and a rear wall movable with respect to the first sidewall and the second sidewall;
A refrigerator comprising a sensor configured to detect movement of the rear wall when the rear wall is pressed and moved. According to claim 1,
The dispenser includes a discharge portion extending from the upper wall and having a passage for water or ice located therein;
An upper end of the rear wall is positioned higher than a lower end of the discharge part. According to claim 1,
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a horizontal distance between an upper end of the rear wall and the opening of the dispenser housing is greater than a horizontal distance between a lower end of the rear wall and the opening of the dispenser housing. According to claim 3,
The upper end of the rear wall is located behind the discharge part,
A lower end of the rear wall is disposed to overlap the discharge part in a vertical direction. According to claim 1,
The distance between the first sidewall and the second sidewall is arranged to decrease as the distance from the opening of the dispenser housing increases,
The left-right length of the rear wall is longer than the left-right length of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall. According to claim 1,
The dispenser housing includes a first extension wall extending from the first sidewall and a second extension wall extending from the second sidewall,
The first extension wall and the second extension wall are positioned to face each other,
When the rear wall is pressed, at least a portion of the rear wall is positioned between the first extension wall and the second extension wall. According to claim 1,
When the rear wall is pressed, the rear wall rotates about the center of rotation,
The rotation center of the rear wall is located closer to the lower end than the upper end of the rear wall. According to claim 7,
The refrigerator wherein the center of rotation of the rear wall is located closer to the lower end than a point at which the vertical height of the rear wall is bisected. According to claim 7,
The detector is located behind the rear wall and is located higher than the center of rotation. According to claim 9,
The detector is located closer to a point at which a vertical height of the rear wall is bisected than a lower end of the rear wall. According to claim 7,
The upper wall includes a stopper that limits movement of the rear wall when the rear wall is pressed. A cabinet having a storage space;
a door opening and closing the storage space; and
It is provided on the door and includes a dispenser for dispensing at least one of water or ice,
The dispenser,
A dispenser housing including an upper wall, a lower wall, first sidewalls and second sidewalls connecting the upper and lower walls, and a rear wall positioned between the first sidewall and the second sidewall,
The rear side wall includes a fixed wall connected to the first side wall and the second side wall, and a movable wall movable with respect to the fixed wall,
A sensor is included at the rear of the movable wall to sense the movement of the movable wall when the movable wall is pressed and moved,
A front area of the movable wall is larger than a front area of the fixed wall. According to claim 12,
The ratio of the left-right length of the fixed wall to the left-right length of the movable wall is 0.8 or more,
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the height of the fixed wall to the height of the movable wall is 0.8 or more. According to claim 12,
The dispenser includes a discharge portion extending from the upper wall and having a passage for water or ice located therein;
The upper end of the movable wall is positioned higher than the discharge part. According to claim 12,
The left-right length of the movable wall is longer than the left-right lengths of the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

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