Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9115930-B2
Application number	US-201213687498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Nov 29, 2011
Publication date	Aug 25, 2015
Grant date	Aug 25, 2015

Abstract

A refrigerator having a water storage vessel detachably mounted thereto so that water is supplied to an ice making apparatus or a dispenser, in which includes a bracket unit installed at a rear surface of a door, a water storage vessel detachable to the bracket unit, a pump to pump the water in the water storage vessel, a second passage configured to supply the water in the water storage vessel to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser, and a valve installed at a diverging point of the second passage, in which the water storage vessel includes a body having a storage space and a first passage, at least one portion of which is fixedly installed to intake the water stored in the storage space to supply the ice making apparatus and the dispenser if the water storage vessel is mounted to the bracket unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body;
a storage compartment having a front surface available to be open at an inside the body;
a door rotatably installed at the body to open/close the open front surface of the storage compartment;
an ice making apparatus provided at an inside the body and generates ice;
a dispenser configured to discharge water and ice to an outside the body; and
a water supplying apparatus configured to supply water to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser,
wherein the water supplying apparatus, comprises:
a water storage vessel provided with a body having a storage space formed at an inside thereof and with a first passage capable of intaking the water stored at the storage space,
a bracket unit installed on a rear surface of the door and having the water storage vessel mounted thereto,
a second passage connected to the first passage and capable of supplying the water in the water storage vessel to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser,
a valve installed at an intersection of the second passage and configured to change a passage, and
a pump configured to pump the water in the water storage vessel for the water to flow to the second passage,
wherein the first passage is connected to the second passage and the water stored at the water storage vessel is supplied to the ice making apparatus or the dispenser as the water storage vessel is mounted to the bracket unit, and
the first passage is disconnected from the second passage as the water storage vessel is dismounted from the bracket unit.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the bracket unit is provided with a locking protrusion for mounting the water storage vessel, and the water storage vessel is provided with a locking step with which the locking protrusion is engaged.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water storage vessel is mounted to the bracket unit while moving from the upper side to the lower side of the bracket unit.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water storage vessel comprises an injection hole formed at an upper surface thereof so as to inject water to the storage space, and
the first passage and the second passage do not pass through the injection hole.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water storage vessel comprises an outside protrusion pipe protruding outward from the body and an inside protrusion pipe protruding inward from the body,
the outside protrusion pipe and the inside protrusion pipe communicate with each other, and
the outside protrusion pipe and the inside protrusion pipe form at least a portion of the first passage.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein each of the outside protrusion pipe and the inside protrusion pipe is formed at a rear surface of the body, and is integrally formed with the body.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a water purifying filter, which is configured to purify water, is installed in the storage space of the water storage vessel.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the bracket unit comprises a base part coupled to the rear surface of the door, a guide part protruded from the base part to guide the connection between the first passage and the second passage and provided with a hollowness formed thereto, and a connecting pipe inserted into the hollowness and forming an entry of the second passage.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the connecting pipe is fixedly installed to the bracket unit.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water storage vessel mounted to the bracket unit is additionally supported while being placed on a door guard that is provided at the rear surface of the door.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water supplying apparatus comprises a pump housing configured to accommodate the pump and the valve.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the pump housing is provided at the rear surface of the door while integrally formed with the bracket unit.

13. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein a marginal space unit is provided at one side of the pump housing for the water storage vessel to be mounted to the bracket unit or for the water to be injected to the water storage vessel mounted to the bracket unit.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein a food storage space is provided at a lower side of the pump housing, and the food stored in the food storage space is supported by a door guard provided at the rear surface of the door.

15. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body;
a storage compartment having a front surface available to be open at an inside the body;
a door rotatively installed at the body to open/close the open front surface of the storage compartment;
an ice making apparatus provided at an inside the body and generates ice;
a dispenser configured to discharge water and ice to an outside the body;
a water storage vessel having a body, which is provided with a storage space formed therein, and an injection hole, which is configured to inject water to the storage space;
a supply passage configured to connect the storage space of the water storage vessel to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser for the water in the water storage vessel is supplied to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser;
a valve installed at an intersection of the supply passage and configured to change a passage; and
a pump configured to pump the water in the water storage vessel for the water to flow to the supply passage,
wherein the supply passage does not pass through the injection hole of the water storage vessel such that the water is supplied to the storage space of the water storage vessel through the injection hole without being interfered by the supply passage.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the supply passage, after penetrating through a rear surface of the body of the water storage vessel, is connected to the storage space of the water storage vessel, and
the injection hole is formed at an upper surface of the body of the water storage vessel.

17. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the water storage vessel is detachably mounted to the door,
the supply passage is formed without being disconnected in a state when the water storage vessel is mounted to the door, and
a mid way of the supply passage is disconnected in a case when the water storage vessel is detached from the door.

18. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body;
a storage compartment having a front surface available to be open at an inside the body;
a door rotatively installed at the body to open/close the open front surface of the storage compartment;
an ice making apparatus provided at an inside the body and generates ice;
a dispenser configured to discharge water and ice to an outside the body;
a water storage vessel detachably mounted to the door, where the water storage vessel is configured to store the water that is to be supplied to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser;
a supply passage configured to connect the water storage vessel, the ice making apparatus, and the dispenser to one another so that the water in the water storage vessel supplies water to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser;
a valve installed at an intersection of the supply passage and configured to change a passage; and
a pump configured to pump the water in the water storage vessel for the water to flow into the supply passage,
wherein the water storage vessel, comprise:
a body forming an exterior,
an injection hole configured to inject water to the water storage vessel,
a first storage space in whic

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang Min
• An Jae Koog
• Jeon Hae Ryong

Classifications

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25D23/12 Primary

  Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove · CPC title

• F25C5/005

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25C2400/14

  Water supply · CPC title

• F25C2400/10

  Refrigerator units · CPC title