Refrigerator and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435920-B2
Application number	US-202318489339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2023
Priority date	Jan 3, 2017
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

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;
a water tank configured to be separated from the door at an inner side of the door;
a first support in the door and configured to support a bottom portion of the water tank;
a second support in the door and configured to support an upper portion of the water tank, the water tank being configured to be separably mounted, in the door, between the first support and the second support;
a water level sensor configured to sense a water level of the water tank in a case where the water tank is mounted between the first support and the second support; and
a controller configured to control, based on sensing by the water level sensor, a water tank valve to supply water through an opening to the water tank,
wherein the first support comprises a protrusion that is configured to support a rear bottom portion of the water tank such as to prevent the water tank from deviating from a position for receiving the water through the opening, by preventing the water tank from moving toward an inside of the storage compartment, in a case where the door is being closed while the water tank is mounted in the door, wherein the position is between the first support and the second support,
wherein the second support protrudes downward from a first surface in the door, and the second support is configured to support a front top portion of the water tank such as to prevent the water tank from pivoting at the rear bottom portion of the water tank, and
wherein the first surface faces downwards towards the first support, and the first surface includes the opening, the opening configured to supply the water to the water tank while the water tank is in the position for receiving water.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the second support comprises an inclined surface that is tilted downward towards a front side of the refrigerator to guide a mounting of the water tank.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the first support comprises:
a second surface facing upwards towards the first surface,
wherein the protrusion extends, at one or more sides of the second surface, upwards above the second surface, and
wherein the protrusion is configured to contact the bottom portion of the water tank in the case where the water tank is mounted between the first support and the second support.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the protrusion extends vertically at a first side of the second surface that is towards a rear side of the refrigerator.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the second support is located at a side of the first surface that is towards the front side of the refrigerator to prevent the water tank from separating from the first support, in a case where the water tank is forced to rotate, by the protrusion.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the protrusion extends vertically at a second side of the second surface that is towards the front side of the refrigerator.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the protrusion at least partially surrounds the second surface in horizontal directions.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door is a left-side door of the refrigerator.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a water tank sensor configured to detect whether the water tank is mounted within the door.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the water tank sensor is above the second support.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the water tank sensor is above the first surface.

12. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein
the upper portion of the water tank comprises a magnet, and
the water tank sensor comprises a Hall sensor that is configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the water to be supplied to the water tank based on the water tank sensor detecting that the water tank is mounted within the door.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F25D2700/00

  Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor · CPC title

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D23/02

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

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title