Refrigerator equipped with apparatus for producing carbonated water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148925-B2
Application number	US-201816128908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a body, a storage chamber, a door, a water tank to store clean water, a carbonated water production module mounted to a back surface of the door while including a carbon dioxide gas cylinder stored with carbon dioxide gas, and a carbonated water tank to produce carbonated water through mixing of the clean water with the carbon dioxide gas, a dispenser including a dispensation space formed at the door, a carbonated discharge line to connect the carbonated water tank and the dispensation space, so as to retrieve the carbonated water in the dispensation space, and a clean water discharge line to connect the water tank and the dispensation space without passing through the carbonated water tank, so as to retrieve the clean water in the dispensation space, and a carbonated water regulator to maintain a discharge pressure of the carbonated water at a predetermined pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a body;
a storage chamber defined in the body and having a front side that is open;
a door to open or close the front side of the storage chamber;
a water tank to store water;
a carbonated water production module mounted to a back surface of the door, the carbonated water production module comprising a carbon dioxide gas cylinder stored with carbon dioxide gas, and a carbonated water tank to produce carbonated water through mixing of the water with the carbon dioxide gas;
a dispenser including:
a dispensation space formed at a front surface of the door,
a carbonated water discharge line to connect the carbonated water tank and the dispensation space, so as to allow the carbonated water to be dispensed to the dispensation space, and
a non-carbonated water discharge line to connect the water tank and the dispensation space without passing through the carbonated water tank, so as to allow the non-carbonated water to be dispensed to the dispensation space, the carbonated water discharge line and the non-carbonated water discharge line each being formed to open and close;
a common discharge line formed by joining the non-carbonated water discharge line and the carbonated water discharge line at one point; and

a carbonated water regulator disposed along the carbonated water discharge line through which the carbonated water produced passes from the carbonated water tank to the dispensation space,
a remaining water discharge prevention valve disposed at the common discharge line and configured to open or close the common discharge line to prevent non-carbonated water or carbonate water from remaining in the common discharge line,
wherein while the non-carbonated water discharge line is closed, the carbonated water regulator controls a discharge pressure of the carbonated water produced so that the carbonated water that is dispensed through the dispensation space while the carbonated water discharge line is open is maintained at equal to or less than a predetermined pressure.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a valve assembly to open or close the carbonated water discharge line and open or close of the non-carbonated water discharge line.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the carbonated water discharged from the carbonated water tank is introduced into the valve assembly via the carbonated water regulator.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the valve assembly is mounted to the back surface of the door.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the valve assembly comprises a first inlet port connected to the water tank, and a second inlet port connected to the carbonated water tank, a first outlet port connected to the carbonated water tank, a second outlet port connected to the dispensation space, to discharge the non-carbonated water, and a third outlet port connected to the dispensation space, to discharge the carbonated water.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the carbonated water is introduced into the second inlet port via the carbonated water regulator.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein a discharge pressure of the non-carbonated water discharged through the second outlet port is equal to a discharge pressure of the carbonated water discharged through the third outlet port.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the carbonated water regulator starts operating when the discharge pressure of the carbonated water is above the predetermined pressure such that the discharge pressure of the carbonated water is maintained to be equal to or less than the predetermined pressure.

9. A refrigerator comprising:
a body;
a storage chamber defined in the body and having a front side that is open;
a door to open or close the front side of the storage chamber;
a water tank to store non-carbonated water;
a carbonated water production module mounted to a back surface of the door, the carbonated water production module comprising a carbon dioxide gas cylinder stored with carbon dioxide gas, and a carbonated water tank to produce carbonated water through mixing of the non-carbonated water with the carbon dioxide gas; and
a dispenser including:
a dispensation space formed at an open front surface of the door,
a carbonated water discharge line to connect the carbonated water tank and the dispensation space, so as to allow the carbonated water to be dispensed to the dispensation space,
a non-carbonated water discharge line to connect the water tank and the dispensation space without passing through the carbonated water tank, so as to allow the non-carbonated water to be dispensed to the dispensation space, the carbonated water discharge line and the non-carbonated water discharge line each being formed to open and close,
a common discharge line formed by joining the non-carbonated water discharge line and the carbonated water discharge line at one point, and
a remaining water discharge prevention valve disposed at the common discharge line and configured to open or close the common discharge line to prevent non-carbonated water or carbonate water from remaining in the common discharge line,

wherein the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonated water tank pushes the carbonated water while the non-carbonated water discharge line is closed, thereby causing the carbonated water to be discharged through the carbonated water discharge line into the dispensation space at a discharge pressure maintained at equal to or less than a predetermined pressure.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a carbonated water regulator provided at the carbonated water discharge line through which the carbonated water produced passes from the carbonated water tank to the dispensation space, to reduce, to the predetermined pressure, the discharge pressure of the carbonated water discharged under high pressure by the carbon dioxide gas.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Hae Ryong
• Lee Sang Tak
• Kyong Yong Soo
• Hwang Kyung Ho

Classifications

• B67D2001/0098

  using a gas · CPC title

• B67D1/14

  Reducing valves or control taps · CPC title

• B67D1/1252

  Gas pressure control means, e.g. for maintaining proper carbonation (for beer engines B67D1/025) · CPC title

• B67D1/125

  Safety means, e.g. over-pressure valves · CPC title

• B67D1/0076 Primary

  by sensing temperature · CPC title