Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016238306-A1
Application number	US-201615044528-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 17, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator which includes a carbonated water production assembly, wherein the carbonated water production assembly includes a nozzle module provided such that carbon dioxide is sprayed in an inner portion of the carbonated water container to produce carbonated water in the carbonated water container. Through this, the carbonated water is easily produced, production components are simplified, and thus utilization of a space may be improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator main body including a cooling space; and a carbonated water production assembly provided in the refrigerator main body, wherein the carbonated water production assembly includes: a production module; a carbon dioxide supply module connected to the production module to supply carbon dioxide; a carbonated water container which is provided to be separable from the production module and in which carbonated water is produced; and a nozzle module which is provided to spray carbon dioxide into the carbonated water container and to be operated due to carbon dioxide which is supplied from the carbon dioxide supply module and flows into the production module.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle module is provided to be moved due to carbon dioxide which flows into the production module, and to directly spray the carbon dioxide in an inner portion of the carbonated water container.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle module includes a carbon dioxide supply nozzle which sprays carbon dioxide into the carbonated water container,
wherein the nozzle module is provided to move between: a stand-by position at which the carbon dioxide supply nozzle is positioned above a surface of purified water stored in the carbonated water container; and a supply enabled position at which the carbon dioxide supply nozzle is moved from the stand-by position and positioned below the surface of the purified water stored in the carbonated water container when carbon dioxide is supplied from the carbon dioxide supply module to the production module.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the nozzle module is provided:
to be movable from the stand-by position to the supply enabled position when an internal pressure of the production module is a first pressure; and to move from the supply enabled position to a supply position at which carbon dioxide is sprayed from the carbon dioxide supply nozzle when a second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle module is moved among the stand-by position, the supply enabled position, and the supply position due to supplying of carbon dioxide.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the nozzle module includes:
a nozzle pipe provided to have a nozzle pipe flow path formed therein and the carbon dioxide supply nozzle formed at one end thereof, and to be movable in the production module; and a valve unit which has an inlet hole and a valve portion provided to open/close the inlet hole such that carbon dioxide flows from an inner portion of the production module to the nozzle pipe flow path, and is disposed at the other end of the nozzle pipe.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the nozzle module includes:
a nozzle elastic member which elastically supports the nozzle pipe such that the nozzle module maintains the stand-by position when an internal pressure of the production module is less than the first pressure; and a valve elastic member which elastically supports the valve portion such that the nozzle module maintains the supply enabled position when the internal pressure of the production module is less than the second pressure.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the valve unit includes a valve elastic member which elastically supports the valve portion to close the inlet hole when the internal pressure of the production module is less than the second pressure

9 . The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the nozzle module further includes a nozzle elastic member provided to elastically return to the stand-by position when supply of carbon dioxide is stopped.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide supply module includes:
a carbon dioxide cylinder in which carbon dioxide is stored; and a carbon dioxide supply valve which is provided at an exit portion of the carbon dioxide cylinder and adjusts supply of carbon dioxide to the production module.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the production module includes a stopper provided to restrict a movement of the nozzle pipe to the supply enabled position when carbon dioxide is supplied.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the production module includes:
a first module body in which a nozzle moving portion is formed such that the nozzle module is movable; and a second module body which has an installation body in which the carbonated water container is detachably provided, and is coupled to one side of the first module body.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , further comprising a water-dispensing space which is exposed to the outside at a front surface of the refrigerator main body and accommodates the carbonated water container,
wherein the carbonated water container is detachably provided in the installation body provided to be exposed in the water-dispensing space.

14 . A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator main body including a cooling space; a door provided to open/close the cooling space; and a carbonated water production assembly provided in the refrigerator main body, wherein the carbonated water production assembly includes: a water-dispensing space provided in the door to be exposed to the outside; a production module which has one side exposed in the water-dispensing space; a carbonated water container which is detachably provided at one side of the exposed production module, and provided to be capable of storing a liquid; a carbon dioxide supply module which supplies carbon dioxide to the production module; and a nozzle module having a carbon dioxide supply nozzle which discharges carbon dioxide to the carbonated water container, and provided to be movable in the production module, and the nozzle module is provided to move between: a stand-by position at which the carbon dioxide supply nozzle is positioned above a surface of a liquid stored in the carbonated water container when a pressure of carbon dioxide in the production module is less than a first pressure; and a supply enabled position at which the carbon dioxide supply nozzle is moved from the stand-by position and positioned below the surface of the liquid stored in the carbonated water container when the pressure of the carbon dioxide in the production module is equal to or greater than the first pressure or more.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the nozzle module is provided to further move to a supply position at which carbon dioxide is sprayed through the carbon dioxide supply nozzle when the pressure of the carbon dioxide in the production module is equal to or greater than a second pressure greater than the first pressure.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the nozzle module is moved among the stand-by position, the supply enabled position, and the supply position due to supplying of carbon dioxide.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the nozzle module includes:
a nozzle pipe provided to have a nozzle pipe flow path formed therein and the carbon dioxide supply nozzle formed at one end thereof, and to be movable in the production module; and a valve unit which has an inlet hole and a valve portion provided to open/close the inlet hole such that carbon dioxide flows from the production module to the nozzle pipe flow path, and is disposed at the other end of the nozzle pipe.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the nozzle module includes:
a nozzle elastic member which supports the nozzle pipe such that the nozzl

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• An Jae Koog
• Lee Jong Ho

Classifications

• F25D11/00 Primary

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

• A47J31/00

  Apparatus for making beverages (household machines or implements for straining foodstuffs A47J19/00; preparation of non-alcoholic beverages, e.g. by adding ingredients to fruit or vegetable juices, A23L2/00; coffee or tea pots A47G19/14; tea infusers A47G19/16; brewing of beer C12C; preparation of wine or other alcoholic beverages C12G) · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• A47J31/46

  Dispensing spouts, pumps, drain valves or like liquid transporting devices · CPC title