Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11079169-B2
Application number	US-201715698297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2017
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body having a storage compartment, a door to open or close the storage compartment, and a dispenser provided on the door and configured to supply water to the outside of the main body, wherein the door includes, a door plate, and a door cap coupled to a lower end portion of the door plate and having a water collecting part to collect residual water of the dispenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a main body having a storage compartment;
a door to open or close the storage compartment; and
a dispenser provided at a lower end portion of the door to supply water to an outside of the main body, and including a dispensing space,
wherein the door includes:
a door plate forming a front surface of the door and side surfaces of the door, and including:
a front cover portion recessed from the outer surface of the door plate to cover a front surface of the dispenser,
an opening extending through the front cover portion from a bottom end of the door plate to expose at least a portion of the dispenser through the opening in the front cover portion; and
a support member provided at a rear portion of the bottom end portion of the door plate;
a handle mounted on the door plate; and

a door cap coupled to the bottom end of the door plate to form the dispensing space, coupled to the support member to support the door plate, and including a water collecting part recessed from an upper surface of the door cap to collect residual water of the dispenser, and

wherein the dispenser includes a dispenser cover coupled to a rear of the front cover portion to cover a rear of the dispenser.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the dispenser has a discharge part; and
the front cover portion includes the opening.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein:
the discharge part includes a lever to operate the dispenser to discharge water; and
at least a portion of the lever is exposed to the outside of the door through the opening.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser cover is further configured to be coupled to the support member in a snap-fit manner.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door cap is configured to be coupled to the support member in a snap-fit manner.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the support member includes at least one first coupling portion coupled to the dispenser cover, and at least one second coupling portion coupled to the door cap.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water collecting part is attachable to or detachable from the door cap.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the door cap is provided to correspond to a shape of the water collecting part and further includes a seating portion on which the water collecting part is seated.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser includes a reinforcing plate in contact with a portion of a rear surface of the door plate and provided to support the portion of the rear surface of the door plate.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the door cap is provided below the bottom end of the door plate.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jeong Hyun
• Gu Yang-Yeol
• Lee Hyung Bum
• Choi Nam Gu

Classifications

• F25D23/02

  Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) · CPC title

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25D2323/122

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

• F25C5/22

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D25/00

  Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled · CPC title