Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933203-B2
Application number	US-201615044528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

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; and
a carbonated water production assembly provided in the refrigerator main body,
the carbonated water production assembly including:
a production module;
a carbon dioxide supply module connected to the production module to supply carbon dioxide; and
a nozzle module movable into a carbonated water container by pressure of the carbon dioxide received by the production module, while the production module is attached to the carbonated water container, to inject the carbon dioxide received by the production module into the carbonated water container, to thereby mix the injected carbon dioxide with water stored in the carbonated water container to produce carbonated water.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle module is movable into the carbonated water container by the pressure of the carbon dioxide to directly inject 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 to inject the carbon dioxide received by the production module into the carbonated water container, and
the nozzle module is to movable into the carbonated water container by moving between:
a stand-by position at which the carbon dioxide supply nozzle is positioned above a surface of the 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 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 movable into the carbonated water container by being movable from the stand-by position to the supply enabled position when the pressure of the carbon dioxide received by the production module is at a first pressure; and
the carbon dioxide supply nozzle included in the nozzle module is to inject the carbon dioxide received by the production module into the carbonated water container at the supplied enabled position when the pressure of the carbon dioxide received by the production module is at a second pressure that is greater than the first pressure.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle module is movable into the carbonated water container by moving among a stand-by position, a supply enabled position, and a supply position.

6. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the nozzle module further includes:
a nozzle pipe having a nozzle pipe flow path formed therein and the carbon dioxide supply nozzle formed at one end thereof, and being movable in the production module; and
a valve unit disposed at another end of the nozzle pipe and including an inlet hole and a valve portion to open and close the inlet hole such that carbon dioxide flows from an inner portion of the production module to the nozzle pipe flow path.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the nozzle module further includes:
a nozzle elastic member which elastically supports the nozzle pipe such that the nozzle module maintains the stand-by position when the pressure of the carbon dioxide received by the production module is less than a 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 a second pressure that is greater than the first pressure.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the valve unit further 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 the carbon dioxide supply module does not supply the carbon dioxide.

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 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 to limit a movement of the nozzle pipe at the supply enabled position while the carbon dioxide is supplied by the carbon supply module.

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 into the carbonated water container; and
a second module body coupled to one side of the first module body and having an installation body to which the carbonated water container is attachable.

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 to accommodate 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,
the carbonated water production assembly including:
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 carbon dioxide supply module which supplies carbon dioxide to the production module; and
a nozzle module movable into a carbonated water container by pressure of the carbon dioxide received by the production module, the nozzle module having a carbon dioxide supply nozzle to discharge, while the production module is attached to the carbonated water container, the carbon dioxide received by the production module into the carbonated water container, to thereby mix the discharged carbon dioxide with water stored in the carbonated water container to produce carbonated water, wherein
the nozzle module is movable into the carbonated water container by moving between:
a stand-by position at which the carbon dioxide supply nozzle is positioned above a surface of the water stored in the carbonated water container while the pressure of carbon dioxide received by 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 water stored in the carbonated water container while the pressure of the carbon dioxide received by the production module is equal to or greater than the first pressure.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the nozzle module is further movable to a supply position at which the carbon dioxide received by the production module is discharged through the carbon dioxide supply nozzle when the pressure of the carbon dioxide received by the production module is equal to or greater than a second pressure.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the nozzle module is movable among the stand-by position, the supply enabled position, and the supply position.

17. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the nozzle module includes:
a nozzle pipe having a nozz

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• An Jae Koog
• Lee Jong Ho

Classifications

• F25D23/028

  Details · 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

• F25D11/00 Primary

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

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25D2323/122

  the refrigerator is characterised by a water tank for the water/ice dispenser · CPC title