Refrigerator with ice container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139147-B2
Application number	US-201715497334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2012
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator with an ice container is provided, and more particularly, a refrigerator with an ice container, in which ice stored in an ice container may be transferred by gravity, and the ice thus transferred may be discharged in a cubic ice state or a broken ice state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body having at least one storage chamber;
at least one door rotatably mounted to the body to open or close the at least one storage chamber;
an ice container detachably mounted to the at least one door or the body, the ice container including:
a discharge passage provided in the ice container and having a discharge opening to discharge ice; and
an ice conveyer mounted in the ice container to discharge the ice moved by gravity as ice cubes or broken ice, selectively, wherein the ice conveyer includes:
a rotational shaft connected to a motor;
a plurality of rotary blades mounted to the rotational shaft;
a plurality of fixed blades that are each mounted between adjacent pairs of the rotary blades to apply a pressure to the ice together with the plurality of rotary blades to break the ice when the plurality of rotary blades rotates in a first direction;
a plurality of spacers coupled to the rotational shaft to fixedly secure the plurality of rotary blades at predetermined positions, respectively; and
a pin configured to be inserted in a first hole formed in an end of the rotational shaft and in a second hole formed in a spacer of the plurality of spacers coupled to the end by press fitting to secure the plurality of rotary blades and the plurality of fixed blades to the rotational shaft,
wherein the rotational shaft includes a non-circular shank having a first flat surface and a second flat surface that is opposite to the first flat surface, and the first hole passes through the first flat surface and the second flat surface.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first flat surface is parallel to the second flat surface.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the spacer includes a front surface and an opposite rear surface that faces one of the plurality of rotary blades,
wherein a distance between the rear surface and the second hole is greater than another distance between the front surface and the second hole.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the pin is a spring pin having a lengthwise incision, and wherein axial ends of the pin are configured to receive a force from a press to expand the axial ends after the pin is inserted into the second hole of the spacer and passes through the rotational shaft.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a top and a bottom of the second hole in the spacer, into which the pin is inserted, have countersinks, respectively.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kang Sungsik

Classifications

• F25C5/182

  Ice bins therefor · CPC title

• F25C2400/08

  for different type of ice · CPC title

• F25C5/02 Primary

  Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice · CPC title

• F25C5/22

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25C5/12

  Ice-shaving machines · CPC title