U.S. patent application number 12/773081 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-05 for refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC.. Invention is credited to Bong Jun CHOI, Min Ho SONG, Gil Jae YOU.
Application Number | 20110100046 12/773081 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43923948 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110100046 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHOI; Bong Jun ; et
al. |
May 5, 2011 |
REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
The embodiment relates to a refrigerator, a refrigerator
according to the embodiment includes: a refrigerating compartment
above the freezing temperature; a freezing compartment below the
freezing temperature; a mullion that partitions the refrigerating
compartment and the freezing compartment side by side; a cold air
supplying portion that forms within the mullion and includes an
evaporator and a cooling fan; and an ice making apparatus that is
disposed at the mullion, the ice making apparatus making cold air
supplying portion ice by receiving cold air generated by the
evaporator.
Inventors: |
CHOI; Bong Jun;
(Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) ; SONG; Min Ho;
(Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) ; YOU; Gil Jae;
(Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) |
Assignee: |
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
43923948 |
Appl. No.: |
12/773081 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/320 ; 62/344;
62/407; 62/443 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 5/22 20180101; F25D
23/069 20130101; F25D 2317/067 20130101; F25D 17/065 20130101; F25D
2317/0664 20130101; F25D 2400/06 20130101; F25D 2317/0663 20130101;
F25D 17/045 20130101; F25D 2317/061 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/320 ; 62/443;
62/344; 62/407 |
International
Class: |
F25C 5/02 20060101
F25C005/02; F25D 13/04 20060101 F25D013/04; F25C 5/18 20060101
F25C005/18; F25D 17/04 20060101 F25D017/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 30, 2009 |
KR |
10-2009-0104282 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerating compartment above the
freezing temperature; a freezing compartment below the feezing
temperature; a mullion that partitions the refrigerating
compartment and the freezing compartment side by side; a cold air
supplying portion that forms within the mullion and includes an
evaporator and a cooling fan; and an ice making apparatus that is
disposed at the mullion, the ice making apparatus making cold air
supplying portion ice by receiving cold air generated by the
evaporator.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, cold air supplying
portion further comprising a cold air duct within the mullion,
wherein the cold air duct comprises: a first duct at the
refrigerating compartment side that supplies cold air generated
from the evaporator to the refrigerating compartment; and a second
duct at the freezing compartment side that supplies cold air
generated from the evaporator to the freezing compartment.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising at
least one damper, which slectively opens or closes the first and
second ducts such that the cold air supplied by the cooling fan is
introduced into one of or both the refrigerating compartment and
the freezing compartment.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the ice making
apparatus includes: an ice maker that makes the ice; an ice bin
that is disposed at a position lower than the ice maker and stores
the ice made by the ice maker; and an ice discharge mechanism that
is disposed within accommodated the ice bin to discharge and/or
crush the ice.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the ice making
apparatus is located within the refrigerating compartment and
communicates with the first duct, and wherein the ice maker and the
ice bin are surrounded by an insulation wall.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising: a
door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment; a
dispenser that is disposed at the door in order to draw out ice
stored in the ice bin; and a discharge duct that is formed by
penetrating the door, one end of the discharge duct communicating
with the ice bin and the other end of the discharge duct
communicating with the dispenser, wherein the insulation wall is
provided with a communication hole enabling the ice bin to
communicate with the discharge duct.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the ice making
apparatus is accommodated located within the freezing compartment
and communicates with the second duct.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising: a
door that opens and closes the freezing compartment; a dispenser
that is disposed at the door in order to draw out ice stored in the
ice bin; and a discharge duct that is formed by penetrating the
door, one end of the discharge duct communicating with the ice bin
and the other end of the discharge duct communicating with the
dispenser.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the ice maker is
accommodated disposed in the freezing compartment and communicates
with the second duct, and the ice bin is disposed in the
refrigerating compartment.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, further comprising: a
connection duct that penetrates the mullion to connect the ice
maker and the ice bin; and an insulation wall that surrounds the
ice bin to insulate the ice bin from the refrigerating
compartment.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, further comprising: a
door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment; a
dispenser that is disposed at the door in order to draw out ice
stored in the ice bin; and a discharge duct that is formed by
penetrating the door, one end of the discharge duct communicating
with the ice bin and the other end of the discharge duct
communicating with the dispenser, wherein the insulation wall is
provided with a communication hole enabling the ice bin to
communicate with the discharge duct.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the ice
discharge mechanism includes at least one of: an auger that
transfers the ice to an ice outlet formed in the ice bin; a crusher
that crushes the ice transferred by the auger; a rotation shaft
that rotates the auger and the crusher; and a motor that is
connected to the rotation shaft to provide rotation power.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein a frontal
insulation wall that forms a front portion of the insulation wall
is separable and constitutes a unitary body with the ice bin.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein a frontal
insulation wall that forms a front portion of the insulation wall
is separable and constitutes a unitary body with the ice bin.
Description
[0001] The present application claims the benefits of priority to
Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0104282 (filed on Oct. 30,
2009), which is herein incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The embodiment relates to a refrigerator.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a refrigerator is an electric home appliance to
keep foods in a refrigerated or frozen state. The inside of the
refrigerator is provided with a compressor, a condenser, and an
expansion unit that forms a freezing cycle and the back surface of
the refrigerator body is provided with an evaporator.
[0006] Recently, various types of refrigerators have been released
onto the market. For example, there are a side by side type where a
refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment are disposed
left and right, respectively, a bottom freezer type where a
refrigerating compartment is disposed above a freezing compartment,
a top mount type where a refrigerating compartment is disposed
below a freezing compartment, etc.
[0007] In addition, an ice making assembly is disposed inside the
refrigerator and the ice making assembly may be disposed in a
refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment or may be a
freezing compartment door or a refrigerating compartment door. A
product having a dispenser which is capable of drawing out ice made
in the ice making assembly and is disposed at the freezing
compartment door or the refrigerating compartment door has been
released onto the market. Therefore, a user can freely draw out ice
without necessarily opening the refrigerator door, thereby making
it possible to prevent cold air from being lost.
[0008] Meanwhile, a conventional refrigerator has a structure that
an evaporator is disposed inside the back surface of the
refrigerator body and the cold air generated from the evaporator is
supplied to the refrigerating compartment or the freezing
compartment through a cold air duct.
[0009] Recently, in the case of the side by side type refrigerator,
the product in which the evaporator is installed inside a mullion
partitioning the refrigerating compartment and the freezing
compartment and the cold air flows into the refrigerating
compartment and the freezing compartment along the cold air duct
formed in the mullion has been released.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The embodiment is to apply an ice making assembly to a
refrigerator having an evaporator disposed in a mullion that
partitions a refrigerating compartment and a freezing
compartment.
[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerator
according to the embodiment includes: a refrigerating compartment;
a freezing compartment that is adjacently disposed to the
refrigerating compartment; a mullion that partitions the
refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment; a cold air
supplying portion that forms a portion of at least mullion and
receives an evaporator therein; and
an ice making apparatus that is attached to the cold air supplying
portion and makes and stores ice by receiving cold air generated by
the evaporator.
[0012] With the refrigerator, the evaporator moves from the back
surface of the refrigerator to the mullion, thereby increasing the
volume of the refrigerator.
[0013] In detail, the depth in the front and back direction of the
refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment of the
refrigerator is longer and the evaporator is disposed in the
mullion so that the increase in the depth of the refrigerating
compartment or the freezing compartment is larger than the
reduction in the width of the refrigerating compartment or the
freezing compartment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a
refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a
cold air supplying portion according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I'
of FIG. 2 and a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an inner
configuration of the cold air supplying portion;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a
configuration of the refrigerator having an ice compartment
according to the embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II'
of FIG. 2 and shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of the
refrigerator;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an
ice compartment according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing an inner
configuration of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of
the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along a
refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] In the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that
form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration
specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be
practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to
enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it
is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that
logical structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes
may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the
invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in
the art to practice the invention, the description may omit certain
information known to those skilled in the art. The following
detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting
sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by
the appended claims.
[0023] Hereinafter, an ice making assembly according to embodiments
of the present invention will be described in detail with reference
to the accompanying drawings. For the description of the present
invention, a side by side type of a refrigerator will be described
as an example.
[0024] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present
invention comprises: a refrigerating compartment above the freezing
temperature; a freezing compartment below the feezing temperature;
a mullion that partitions the refrigerating compartment and the
freezing compartment side by side; a cold air supplying portion
that forms within the mullion and includes an evaporator and a
cooling fan; and an ice making apparatus that is disposed at the
mullion, the ice making apparatus making ice by receiving cold air
generated by the evaporator.
[0025] The refrigerator of the present invention may further
comprise a cold air duct within the mullion, and the cold air duct
may comprise: a first duct at the refrigerating compartment side
that supplies cold air generated from the evaporator to the
refrigerating compartment; and a second duct at the freezing
compartment side that supplies cold air generated from the
evaporator to the freezing compartment.
[0026] The refrigerator of the present invention may further
comprise at least one damper, which slectively opens or closes the
first and second ducts such that the cold air supplied by the
cooling fan is introduced into one of or both the refrigerating
compartment and the freezing compartment.
[0027] The ice making apparatus of the present invention may
include: an ice maker that makes the ice; an ice bin that is
disposed at a position lower than the ice maker and stores the ice
made by the ice maker; and an ice discharge mechanism that is
disposed within the ice bin to discharge and/or crush the ice.
[0028] The ice making apparatus of the present invention may be
located within the refrigerating compartment and communicate with
the first duct, and the ice maker and the ice bin may be surrounded
by an insulation wall.
The refrigerator of the present invention may further comprise: a
door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment; a
dispenser that is disposed at the door in order to draw out ice
stored in the ice bin; and a discharge duct that is formed by
penetrating the door, one end of the discharge duct communicating
with the ice bin and the other end of the discharge duct
communicating with the dispenser, and the insulation wall may be
provided with a communication hole enabling the ice bin to
communicate with the discharge duct.
[0029] The ice making apparatus of the present invention may be
located within the freezing compartment and communicate with the
second duct.
[0030] The refrigerator of the present invention may further
comprise: a door that opens and closes the freezing compartment; a
dispenser that is disposed at the door in order to draw out ice
stored in the ice bin; and a discharge duct that is formed by
penetrating the door, and one end of the discharge duct may
communicate with the ice bin and the other end of the discharge
duct may communicate with the dispenser.
[0031] The ice maker of the present invention may be disposed in
the freezing compartment and communicate with the second duct, and
the ice bin may be disposed in the refrigerating compartment.
[0032] The refrigerator of the present invention may further
comprise: a connection duct that penetrates the mullion to connect
the ice maker and the ice bin; and an insulation wall that
surrounds the ice bin to insulate the ice bin from the
refrigerating compartment.
[0033] The refrigerator of the present invention may further
comprise: a door that opens and closes the refrigerating
compartment; a dispenser that is disposed at the door in order to
draw out ice stored in the ice bin; and a discharge duct that is
formed by penetrating the door, one end of the discharge duct
communicating with the ice bin and the other end of the discharge
duct communicating with the dispenser, and the insulation wall may
be provided with a communication hole enabling the ice bin to
communicate with the discharge duct.
[0034] The ice discharge mechanism of the present invention may
include at least one of: an auger that transfers the ice to an ice
outlet formed in the ice bin; a crusher that crushes the ice
transferred by the auger; a rotation shaft that rotates the auger
and the crusher; and a motor that is connected to the rotation
shaft to provide rotation power.
[0035] A frontal insulation wall that forms a front portion of the
insulation wall may be separable and constitute a unitary body with
the ice bin. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a
refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator 10 according to an
embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 11 having a
freezing compartment 111 a refrigerating compartment 112. Each of
the freezing compartment 111 and the refrigerating compartment 112
is selectively shielded by a door (not shown) that is pivotably
connected to the cabinet 11. The refrigerating compartment 112 and
the freezing compartment 111 are partitioned side by side by a
mullion 113.
[0037] In addition, a cold air supplying portion 12 is formed in
the mullion 113. An evaporator 30 (see FIG. 2) that generates a
cold air and a cold air passage are disposed in the cold air
supplying portion 12. An ice compartment 20 is disposed on one side
of the cold air supplying portion 12 as well. FIG. 1 shows that the
ice compartment 20 is disposed inside the refrigerating compartment
112.
[0038] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a
cold air supplying portion according to an embodiment of the
present invention, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinally cross-sectional
view taken along the line I-I' of FIG. 2 to show an inner
configuration of the cold air supplying portion.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the cold air supplying portion
12 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be
formed inside the mullion 113 and may be formed in the entire or a
portion of the mullion 113.
[0040] In detail, the evaporator 30 is accommodated in the lower
inside of the cold air supplying portion 12, and a cooling fan 31
may be disposed in the upper space of the evaporator 30. A cold air
duct extends from the discharge side of the cooling fan 31. In
detail, the cold air duct is divided into a first duct 121 at the
refrigerating compartment side and a second air duct 124 at the
freezing compartment 121 at the discharge side of the cooling fan
31. The first duct 121 is for supplying cold air into the
refrigerating compartment and the second duct 124 is for supplying
cold air into the freezing compartment. A damper 127 at the
freezing compartment side is disposed at an inlet of the second air
duct 124 and a damper 128 at the refrigerating compartment side is
disposed at the inlet of the first air duct 121, respectively, such
that the amounts of the cold air supplied into the refrigerating
compartment and the freezing compartment can be controlled.
[0041] In addition, cold air suction holes 126 and 123 are disposed
at both sides of the cold air supplying portion 12, respectively,
that correspond to the lower ends of the evaporator 30. The air
inside the freezing compartment 111 and the refrigerating
compartment 112 is sucked towards the evaporator 30 through the
cold air suction holes 126 and 123.
[0042] Also, a plurality of cold air outlets 122 are provided at
the first duct 121 and a plurality of cold air outlets 125 are also
provided at the second air duct 124. Further, the plurality of cold
air outlets 125 may also be formed on a flat surface, in the same
manner as the second air duct 124.
[0043] Meanwhile, the ice compartment 20 may be attached to the
first duct 121 and the cold air discharged from the first duct 121
may be supplied to the ice compartment 20 to make ice.
[0044] A return duct 129 that enables the cold air supplied to the
ice compartment 20 to return to the second duct 124 may be formed.
Therefore, the cold air supplied to the ice compartment 20 along
the first duct 121 can be supplied to the freezing compartment 111
through the return duct 129. However, it is not limited to the
embodiment proposed herein but a separate return duct structure may
be extended from the ice compartment to be connected to a space in
which the evaporator 30 is accommodated so that the cold air is
circulated.
[0045] Also, the present embodiment shows that the ice compartment
20 is accommodated in the space of the refrigerating compartment.
Further, the ice compartment 20 includes an ice maker 21 that makes
ice, an ice bin 22 that stores the ice made in the ice maker 21,
and a cooling fan (not shown). The cooling fan may be denominated
as an ice compartment fan. The structure of the ice compartment 20
will be now described in more detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a
configuration of the refrigerator having an ice compartment
according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is
a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II' of FIG. 2 and
shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator.
[0047] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the refrigerator 10 according to
an embodiment of the present invention have the freezing
compartment 111 and the refrigerating compartment 112 are formed
side by side by the mullion 113. The cold air supplying portion 12
may form a part of the mullion 113 or may be entirely buried inside
the mullion 113. The present embodiment shows a structure in which
the cold air supplying portion 12 is completely buried inside the
mullion 113 and only the cold air suction holes and cold air
outlets are exposed on both side walls of the mullion.
[0048] Meanwhile, the ice compartment 20 is installed on the first
duct 121, and a dispenser 14 and a discharge duct 15 that connects
the ice compartment 20 to the dispenser 14 are formed at a
refrigerator door 13 so that the ice made in the ice compartment 20
is discharged to the outside. Herein, the refrigerator door 13 may
be a refrigerating compartment door that opens/closes the
refrigerating compartment. A water dispensing port 142 that
dispenses potable water may be formed on the dispenser 14. A water
supply passage L that is connected to a water supply source outside
the refrigerator is extended to the inside of the refrigerator 10.
More specifically, the water supply passage L may be branched into
a water supply passage for ice making L1 and a water supply passage
for purifying water L2 at a certain position thereof. The end of
the water supply passage for ice making L1 is extended to the ice
maker 21 inside the ice compartment 20. The water supply passage
for purifying water L2 is extended along the refrigerator main body
and is extended to the inside of the refrigerating compartment by
penetrating the refrigerator door, in particular, the inside of the
hinge for the refrigerating compartment door, thereby being
connected to the water dispensing port 142. Although not shown, a
filter may be provided rearward (based on the flow direction of
water) of the position where the water supply passage for making
ice L1 and the water supply passage for purifying water L2 are
branched.
[0049] More specifically, an inlet of the discharge duct 15 that is
formed on the rear surface of the door 13 is closely attached to a
bottom portion of the ice compartment 20, and an outlet thereof is
connected to the dispenser 14. Therefore, a damper 151 formed
inside the discharge duct 15 is operated by pressing a button 141
formed on the dispenser 14 and thus an internal path of the
discharge duct 15 is opened, such that the ice is discharged to the
dispenser 14.
[0050] Further, the ice compartment 20 forms an ice chamber therein
by a insulation wall 23, wherein the ice maker 21, the ice bin 22
that stores ice, and the ice compartment fan 25 are provided inside
the insulation wall 23. Also, ice outlets are formed in the ice bin
22 and the bottom surface of the insulation wall 23, respectively,
and the ice outlets are configured to communicate with the inlet of
the discharge duct 15. Further, a damper 231 is mounted on the ice
outlet formed on the bottom of the insulation wall 23, thereby
making it possible to prevent the ice from being discharged when
the door 13 is opened.
[0051] Meanwhile, an ice discharge mechanism 24 is provided inside
the ice bin 21, wherein the ice discharge mechanism 24 includes an
auger 243 that transfers the ice to the outlet formed on the bottom
of the ice bin 22, a crusher 244 that crushes the ice transferred
by the auger 243, a rotation shaft 242 that rotates the auger 243
and the crusher 244, and a motor 241 that is connected to the
rotation shaft 242 to apply rotation power.
[0052] The ice compartment 20 is configured to communicate with the
cold air outlets 122 formed on the first duct 121 to be provided
with cold air.
[0053] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an
ice compartment according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 6, the ice compartment 20 according to an
embodiment of the present invention is formed of the insulation
wall 23, wherein the ice maker 21 and the ice bin 22 are
accommodated in the space formed by the insulation wall 23.
[0055] More specifically, the insulation wall 23 is configured of
an upper insulation wall 231, a lower insulation wall 233, a pair
of side insulation walls 232, a frontal insulation wall 235, and a
rear insulation wall 234. A plurality of cold air inlet holes 236
are formed on the insulation wall that is closely adhered to the
cold air supplying portion 12, among the pair of side insulation
walls 232. Then, the cold air inlets 236 are configured to
communicate with the cold air outlets 122 of the first duct 121. A
plurality of cold air outlets 237 are formed on the lower side of
the cold air inlets 236. One or more cold air outlets 237 are
configured to communicate with the return duct 129 inside the
mullion 113. The edges of the cold air inlet 236 and the cold air
outlet 237 are respectively formed with a sealing member 238, such
that when the ice compartment is disposed in the mullion 113, it
prevents the leakage of cold air. The ice maker 21 and the ice bin
22 are surrounded by the insulation wall 23, such that the heat
exchange with the air of inside the refrigerating compartment is
blocked. Therefore, the problem that the temperature in the ice
compartment 20 is increased, whereby the ice within the ice
compartment 120 is melted or the ice making is not properly
performed may be prevented.
[0056] In addition, the frontal insulation wall 235 forming the
insulation wall 23 is integrally coupled with the front surface of
the ice bin 22, such that it can be drawn out together with the ice
bin 22. In other words, only the frontal insulation wall 235 is
disposed to be separated from other insulation walls and is
connected to the ice bin 22, such that the user can separate the
ice bin 22 from the ice compartment 20.
[0057] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing an inner
configuration of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of
the present invention.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 7, in the embodiment, the ice compartment
is attached to the second air duct 124 and the dispenser and the
discharge duct are disposed at the freezing compartment door
14.
[0059] The structure of the ice compartment 20 is the same as the
above-mentioned embodiment except only that the cold air inlet of
the ice compartment 20 (not shown) is formed at an opposite side to
the surface defined in the above-mentioned embodiment. In other
words, the discharge duct 15 is disposed at the back surface of the
freezing compartment door 14 such that ice made in the ice
compartment can be drawn out to the dispenser.
[0060] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along a
refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present
invention.
[0061] Referring to FIG. 8, in the embodiment, the ice maker 21 is
disposed at the freezing compartment 11, and the ice bin 22 is
disposed at the refrigerating compartment 112. Other configuration,
such as the configuration that the cold air supplying portion 12
including the evaporator 30 is disposed in the mullion 113 is the
same as the above-mentioned embodiment.
[0062] In detail, the ice maker 21 is closely attached to the
surface of the freezing compartment side of the mullion 113. The
ice bin 22 is closely attached to the surface of the refrigerating
compartment side of the mullion 113. A transfer path 113a that
connects the ice maker 21 to the ice bin 22 is formed in the
mullion 113. The ice maker 21 is provided with a guide plate 211 to
guide ice separated from the ice maker 21 to the transfer path
113a. The inside of the ice bin 22 is provided with the
above-mentioned ice discharge mechanism 24. Therefore, ice
collected in the ice bin 22 through the transfer path 113a can move
forward by the ice discharge mechanism 24.
[0063] In addition, in the embodiment, the ice bin 22 is provided
in the refrigerating compartment 12, thus the dispenser 14 may be
disposed at the door that opens and closes the refrigerating
compartment 112. The structure that the ice stored in the ice bin
22 is discharged to the outside through the dispenser 14 is the
same as one described in FIG. 4.
* * * * *