Refrigerator and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473385-B2
Application number	US-201515503531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a water tank which stores water, a carbon dioxide cylinder which stores carbon dioxide, a dispenser module which accommodates an external container and supplies the carbon dioxide and the water to the external container, and a controller which supplies the water to the external container and supplies the carbon dioxide to the external container when supplying the water is completed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator capable of preparing carbonated water, comprising:
a carbon dioxide cylinder configured to store carbon dioxide;
a dispenser module configured to accommodate an external container and supply the carbon dioxide and water to the external container; and
a controller configured to:
supply the water to the external container,
control supply of the carbon dioxide to the external container when supplying of the water to the external container that is accommodated in the dispenser module is completed, and
repeat supplying the carbon dioxide to the external container and discharging the carbon dioxide from the external container.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a water supply valve configured to control the water supplied to the external container; and
a carbon dioxide supply valve configured to control the carbon dioxide supplied from the carbon dioxide cylinder to the external container,
wherein the controller opens the water supply valve to supply the water to the external container and to open the carbon dioxide supply valve to supply the carbon dioxide to the external container.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a carbon dioxide discharge valve configured to control the carbon dioxide discharged from the external container, wherein the controller opens the carbon dioxide discharge valve to discharge the carbon dioxide from the external container.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface which interacts with a user.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the controller determines a target supply amount of the carbon dioxide according to a target concentration input through the user interface.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the controller finishes preparing the carbonated water when the carbon dioxide reaches the target supply amount.

7. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the controller finishes preparing the carbonated water when a number of opening and closing the carbon dioxide supply valve and the carbon dioxide discharge valve reaches a carbon dioxide injection number input through the user interface.

8. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein when a preparing command for the carbonated water is input through the user interface, the controller determines whether the external container is inserted in the dispenser module.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the controller controls the user interface to display information related to the external container being inserted in the dispenser module and receives a confirmation of whether the external container is inserted through the user interface.

10. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the controller determines whether the external container is inserted according to a sensing result of a sensor provided in the dispenser module.

11. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein when the external container is not inserted, the controller controls the user interface to display an external container non-insertion message.

12. A refrigerator, comprising:
a carbon dioxide cylinder configured to store carbon dioxide; and
a dispenser module configured to accommodate an external container separable from the refrigerator and supply the carbon dioxide and water to the external container,
wherein the dispenser module comprises:
an external container coupler coupled with the external container, and
a dispenser nozzle through which the water and the carbon dioxide are discharged,

wherein the refrigerator repeats supplying the carbon dioxide to the external container and discharging the carbon dioxide from the external container.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the dispenser nozzle comprises:
a first discharge pipe;
a second discharge pipe which is provided inside the first discharge pipe and protrudes from the first discharge pipe when the carbon dioxide is supplied; and
an elastic body configured to return the second discharge pipe to an original position when the second discharge pipe protrudes from the first discharge pipe.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein when the carbon dioxide is supplied, the second discharge pipe protrudes to allow one end thereof to be located below a surface of water contained in the external container.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jong Ho
• Lee Jea Won
• Yu Byung Mo
• Hwang Kyung Ho

Classifications

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• B67D1/0075

  by sensing gas pressure · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D11/00

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title