Refrigerator and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794628-B2
Application number	US-201815861517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a body which includes a storage compartment, a door which opens and closes the storage compartment and includes a dispenser, a water tank case disposed in the door, a water tank separably mounted in the water tank case, a water level sensor configured to sense a water level inside the water tank when the water tank is mounted in the water tank case, and a water tank valve configured to guide water supplied from a water supply source to the dispenser or the water tank and to prevent water from being supplied to the water tank when the water level sensor senses that a certain amount of water is stored in the water tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a body including a storage compartment;
a door that opens or closes the storage compartment and comprises a dispenser;
a water tank case disposed in the door;
a water tank separably mounted in the water tank case;
a water level sensor configured to sense a water level inside the water tank when the water tank is mounted in the water tank case; and
a water tank valve configured to supply water to the dispenser or the water tank,
wherein the water level sensor comprises:
a sensor provided to move in a first direction in contact with the water tank when the water tank is mounted to the water tank case; and
an elastic member that pressurizes the sensor in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and

wherein the water tank valve is configured to block water from being supplied to the water tank when the water level sensor senses that a certain amount of water is stored in the water tank.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water tank case is separably mounted in the door.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water level sensor is configured to sense the water level inside the water tank by sensing a capacitance change according to a water level of a liquid in the water tank.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a water purifying filter disposed in a flow path between a water supply source and the water tank valve and configured to purify water supplied from the water supply source.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water tank valve is configured to supply water to the water tank when the water level sensor senses that a certain amount of water is not present in the water tank.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser comprises an operating lever exposed to an outside of the door, and the water tank valve is configured to supply the water through the dispenser by opening a flow path that faces the dispenser when a signal is input to the operating lever.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the water tank case comprises:
a leaked water tray provided below the water tank case; and
a water leak sensor configured to sense water collected in the leaked water tray, and

the water tank valve is configured to cut off a water supply to the water tank when the water leak sensor senses that a certain amount of water has been collected in the leaked water tray.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water tank case comprises a first support that supports a portion of the water tank in a direction in that the water tank is mounted in the water tank case.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the water tank case comprises a second support that supports another portion of the water tank in a direction opposite to a pivoting direction to prevent the water tank from pivoting on the portion of the water tank supported by the first support when the door closes.

10. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the first support is provided to cover at least a portion of a bottom end of the water tank.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the water tank valve is disposed at a top of the water tank case such that an outlet hole through that water supplied to the water tank is discharged faces downward, and
the water tank comprises:
a body;
a cover that covers a top of the body; and
a water tank inlet hole formed at a top surface of the cover and disposed at a position corresponding to the outlet hole when the water tank is mounted in the water tank case.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the water tank inlet hole has a size greater than that of the outlet hole.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water tank comprises:
a body;
a cover that covers a top of the body; and
an infuser separably coupled to the cover and disposed in the body when the cover is coupled to the body.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water tank case comprises a water tank sensor configured to sense whether the water tank is mounted.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang Min
• Kwon Jun O
• An Jae Koog

Classifications

• F25D2331/81

  Pitchers · CPC title

• F25D2323/121

  the refrigerator is characterised by a water filter for the water/ice dispenser · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• G01F23/26

  by measuring variations of capacity or inductance of capacitors or inductors arising from the presence of liquid or fluent solid material in the electric or electromagnetic fields · CPC title

• F16K33/00

  Floats for actuation of valves or other apparatus {(float actuated valves F16K31/18)} · CPC title