Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9506682-B2
Application number	US-201414183972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Feb 20, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body that defines a storage space, a door configured to open or close the storage space, and a dispenser located in the door and configured to dispense cooled water and purified water. The refrigerator also includes a purified water input part that inputs a command for dispensing the purified water, a cooled water input part that inputs a command for dispensing the cooled water, and a dispensing amount input part that sets an amount of purified water to be dispensed based on the purified water being selected through the purified water input part. The refrigerator further includes a filter device located within the storage space to purify water supplied from a water supply source, and a water tank storing water that has passed through the filter device in a cooled state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a main body that defines a storage space;
a door configured to open or close at least a portion of the storage space;
a dispenser located in the door and configured to dispense water or ice;
an ice making device located above the dispenser and configured to make ice,
wherein the dispenser includes:
a cavity defined by an upper surface, a side surface, a rear surface and a bottom surface;
a water chute formed at the upper surface of the cavity;
an ice chute formed at the upper surface of the cavity;
a container tray pivotably coupled to the rear surface of the cavity, the container tray including:
a rear surface on which a container is placed when the container is horizontally pivoted; and
a front surface opposite to the rear surface;

a hinge provided at a lower side surface of the container tray, the container tray configured to be pivoted with respect to the hinge; and
a display provided on a front surface of the dispenser and configured to serve as an input part to input a plurality of commands or output images or moving pictures corresponding to the plurality of commands, the display being a touch screen-type display,

wherein a tray seat part is formed in the rear surface of the cavity such that the container tray is seated in,
wherein a touch screen of the display is partitioned into a plurality of sections to display a purified water input part and a cooled water input part, and
wherein the touch screen is configured to, based on the purified water input part being touched, switch to display a dispensing amount input part.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein when the container tray is seated in the tray seat part, the front surface of the container tray and the rear surface of the cavity is configured to be coplanar.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the rear surface of the cavity is inclined rearward.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a latch part provided on the tray seat part and the rear surface of the container tray,
wherein the latch part is configured to allow the container tray to be selectively pivoted from the tray seat part by a user's pushing the front surface of the container tray.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a residual water plate provided in the bottom surface of the cavity, the residual water plate including:
a residual water tray recessed downward by a predetermined depth; and
a residual water cover covering a top surface of the residual water tray and having at least one residual water hole to collect water dropping from the water chute into the residual water tray.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a push pad configured to control dispensing water or ice based on receiving a pushing input; and
a detection part configured to detect the pushing of the pushing pad,
wherein the push pad is disposed on the rear surface of the cavity above an upper end of the tray seat part.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first control panel disposed behind the display;
a second control panel disposed behind the push pad for receiving a command from the push pad.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein, after an amount of water to be dispensed is selected through the dispensing amount input part, a water dispensing command is input based on a water dispensing command input part being manipulated, or the push pad being pushed, the water dispensing command input part being separate from the push pad.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein an input part configured to select ice dispensing is displayed on the touch screen of the display,
wherein cubed ice or crushed ice is selected through the ice input part.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a driving unit and a deceleration unit which are provided on the hinge to control a pivot speed of the container tray.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a lower part of the rear surface of the cavity is further recessed than the tray seat part in order to prevent an end portion of the container tray from being interfered by the lower part of the rear surface of the cavity when the container tray is horizontally pivoted.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the end portion of the container tray is an end portion to which the hinge is provided,
and wherein the lower part of the rear surface of the cavity is recessed along a trace of the end portion of the container tray.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water chute and the ice chute is disposed in line at a center of the cavity, and the water chute is located ahead the ice chute.

14. The refrigerator of claim of claim 1 , further comprising a container accommodation groove which is further recessed by a predetermined depth from an inside of the tray seat part.

15. A refrigerator, comprising:
a main body that defines a storage space;
a door configured to open or close at least a portion of the storage space;
a dispenser located in the door and configured to dispense water or ice;
an ice making device located above the dispenser and configured to make ice,
wherein the dispenser includes:
a cavity defined by an upper surface, a side surface, a rear surface and a bottom surface;
a water chute formed at the upper surface of the cavity;

an ice chute formed at the upper surface of the cavity;
a container tray pivotably coupled to the rear surface of the cavity, the container tray including:
a rear surface on which a container is placed when the container horizontally pivoted; and
a front surface opposite to the rear surface;

a hinge provided at a lower side surface of the container tray, the container tray configured to be pivoted with respect to the hinge,

wherein a tray seat part is recessed rearward by a predetermined depth from the rear surface of the cavity, the container tray being configured to be seated in the tray seat part, and
wherein when the container tray is seated in the tray seat part, the front surface of the container tray and the rear surface of the cavity is configured to be coplanar.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yun Jongho
• An Siyeon
• Park Kyutae
• Park Kyungsoo
• Kim Seonkyu
• Kwon Hyokku
• Lee Hangbok

Classifications

• F25D17/02

  for circulating liquids, e.g. brine · CPC title

• F25D11/02 Primary

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25C1/00

  Producing ice (F25C3/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B67D1/0014

  the beverage being supplied from water mains · CPC title