Refrigerator having locking device for ice bucket and method for installing locking device for ice bucket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016370102-A1
Application number	US-201514835478-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a refrigerator having a locking device for an ice bucket and a method for installing a locking device for an ice bucket. A refrigerator having a locking device for an ice bucket, comprising: a main body; a storage space within the main body; an ice space configured to be disposed inside the main body, and partitioned from the storage space, and having a front opening; an ice bucket comprising an ice storage part which stores ice generated within the ice space; and a cover member which is disposed in front of the ice storage part to cover a front of the ice space and configured to be slidably installed in the ice space; and a locking device configured to lock the ice bucket within the ice space to prevent the ice bucket from being drawn out of the ice space by itself.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator having a locking device for an ice bucket, the refrigerator comprising:
a main body; a storage space within the main body; an ice space disposed inside the main body, and partitioned from the storage space, and having a front opening; an ice bucket comprising: an ice storage part which stores ice generated within the ice space; and a cover member which is disposed in front of the ice storage part to cover a front of the ice space and configured to be slidably installed in the ice space; and a locking device configured to lock the ice bucket within the ice space to prevent the ice bucket from being drawn out of the ice space by itself, wherein the locking device comprises: a projection configured to protrude from an inner side of the ice space toward the ice bucket; a receiving part depression in at least any one of an upper portion and a lower portion of the ice bucket; an elastic module part comprising a frame which is installed in the receiving part depression and an elastic piece which has one end fixed to the frame and the other end in a free state configured to provide an elastic force; a locking flap coupled to the elastic module part, and configured to receive the elastic force from the elastic piece, and comprising a projecting part which is locked to the projection by the elastic force; and a cover part configured to cover a portion of the locking flap and comprising an opening part through which the projecting part extends.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a side of the receiving part comprises a coupling groove configured for separably coupling the elastic module part and wherein the frame comprises a hook part configured to be inserted into the coupling groove.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the elastic piece comprises:
a wave part bent in a wave shape with a predetermined length to produce the elastic force; and a plane part forming a flat portion coupled to the wave part toward the free end and configured to push a portion of the projecting part of the locking flap toward the projection.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the projecting part is coupled with a hinge part allowing the locking flap to rotate under the elastic force.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cover part is separably coupled with the elastic module part.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the locking device is disposed at one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the ice bucket and wherein an opposing side of the ice bucket comprises a first locking hook extending from the ice space and comprising:
a second locking hook extending from the ice bucket lock to the first locking hook.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a first locking device is disposed in the upper portion of the ice bucket and a second locking device is disposed at the lower portion of the ice bucket.

8 . A method for installing a locking device for an ice bucket, the method comprising:
forming a receiving part depression in at least any one of an upper portion and a lower portion of the ice bucket disposed in the refrigerator; molding an elastic module part comprising a frame and an elastic piece having one end fixed to the frame and another end in a free state; molding a locking flap comprising a projecting part projecting from one side of the locking flap; molding a cover part which covers a portion of the locking flap and comprises an opening through which the projecting part extends; coupling the cover part with the elastic module part by disposing the locking flap between the cover part and the elastic module part, wherein a free end side of the elastic piece contacts a surface of the projecting part and the projecting part is inserted into the opening; installing the elastic module part, wherein the cover part and the locking flap are coupled, into the receiving part depression; and installing a projection protruding from an inner side of an ice space of the refrigerator toward the ice bucket to lock the projecting part thereto.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the elastic piece is molded to have a wave part bent in a wave shape with a predetermined length, from a point fixed to the frame toward the free end, to produce the elastic force and a plane part configured to form a flat portion coupled to the wave part toward the free end and configured to push a point of the projecting part of the locking flap toward the projection.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the locking flap is molded to rotate due to the elastic force, wherein an end opposite the projecting part is integrally formed with a hinge part.

11 . An apparatus comprising:
an ice bucket comprising an ice storage portion configured to store ice and configured to be slidably installed in a refrigerator; and a locking device configured to lock the ice bucket, wherein the locking device includes: a projection configured to protrude from an inner side of the refrigerator toward the ice bucket; a receiving portion in at least any one of an upper portion and a lower portion of the ice bucket; an elastic module portion comprising a frame which is installed in the receiving portion and an elastic piece configured to provide an elastic force; a locking flap coupled to the elastic module portion, and configured to be applied with the elastic force from the elastic piece, and comprising a projecting part which is locked to the projection by the elastic force; and a cover part comprising an opening through which the projecting part extends.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a side of the receiving portion comprises a coupling groove configured for separably coupling the elastic module portion and wherein the frame comprises a hook part configured to be inserted into the coupling groove.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the elastic piece comprising:
a wave part having a wave shape with a first end fixed to the frame and a second end that is a free end, and configured to produce the elastic force; and a plane part forming a flat portion coupled to the wave part toward the free end and configured to apply a force to a portion of the projecting part of the locking flap toward the projection.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the projecting part is coupled with a hinge allowing the locking flap to rotate in response to the elastic force.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the cover part is separably coupled with the elastic module portion.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the locking device is disposed at one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the ice bucket and wherein an opposing side of the ice bucket comprises a first locking hook extending from the refrigerator and comprising:
a second locking hook extending from the ice bucket configured to be locked to the first locking hook.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a first locking device is disposed in the upper portion of the ice bucket and a second locking device is disposed at the lower portion of the ice bucket.

18 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising another locking device.

Assignees

• Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Yang Sung Jin

Classifications

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• B23P15/26

  heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25C5/182

  Ice bins therefor · CPC title

• F25D23/08 Primary

  Parts formed wholly or mainly of plastics materials · CPC title