U.S. patent application number 14/567320 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-25 for refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jae Koog An, Yeon Woo Cho, Do Yun Jang, Jin JEONG, Kyoung Ki Park, Bong Su Son.
Application Number | 20150176882 14/567320 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52101223 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150176882 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
JEONG; Jin ; et al. |
June 25, 2015 |
REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
A refrigerator includes an auger including a transfer unit
transferring ice in an ice bucket and a driving gear unit formed at
the end of the transfer unit and transmitting rotary force and an
agitator including an agitation unit agitating the ice in the ice
bucket and a driven gear unit combined with the end of the
agitation unit. The auger is formed integrally and thus, the number
of parts of the auger is reduced and the assembled structure of the
auger is simplified. The ice bucket is fixed in the upward,
downward, and horizontal directions by a dual fixing device and is
easily attached to and detached from a door of the
refrigerator.
Inventors: |
JEONG; Jin; (Yongin-si,
KR) ; Park; Kyoung Ki; (Gwangju, KR) ; Son;
Bong Su; (Cheonan-si, KR) ; An; Jae Koog;
(Gwangju, KR) ; Jang; Do Yun; (Busan, KR) ;
Cho; Yeon Woo; (Seoul, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Suwon-si |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
Suwon-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
52101223 |
Appl. No.: |
14/567320 |
Filed: |
December 11, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/344 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 2500/08 20130101;
F25D 23/028 20130101; F25C 5/22 20180101; F25D 23/04 20130101; F25C
5/18 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25C 5/00 20060101
F25C005/00; F25D 23/02 20060101 F25D023/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 20, 2013 |
KR |
10-2013-0160832 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body comprising a storage
chamber; a door rotatably combined with the main body to open and
close the storage chamber; an ice maker provided on the door; an
ice bucket provided on the door to store ice made by the ice maker;
an auger provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising
a transfer unit transferring the ice in the ice bucket and a
driving gear unit integrally formed with the end of the transfer
unit and transmitting rotary force; and an agitator provided on the
ice bucket to be rotated by the rotary force transmitted from the
auger and comprising an agitation unit agitating the ice in the ice
bucket and a driven gear unit engaged with the driving gear unit
and combined with the end of the agitation unit.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit
and the driving gear unit are integrally formed through injection
molding.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a
motor driving the auger, wherein the auger and the agitator are
rotated together by driving the motor.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the auger and the
agitator are rotated in opposite directions.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the driving gear
unit of the auger and the driven gear unit of the agitator are
disposed at the outside of the ice bucket.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ice bucket
comprises a driving gear unit passage hole through which the
driving gear unit of the auger passes.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the auger further
comprises an auger separation prevention rib having a greater
diameter than the diameter of the driving gear unit passage hole to
prevent the auger from being separated to the outside of the ice
bucket via the driving gear unit passage hole.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the agitation
unit comprises a gear combination unit provided at the end of the
agitation rotary shaft so that the driven gear unit is combined
with the gear combination unit.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the ice bucket
comprises a gear combination unit passage hole through which the
gear combination unit passes.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the agitator
further comprises an agitator separation prevention rib having a
greater diameter than the diameter of the gear combination unit
passage hole to prevent the agitator from being separated to the
outside of the ice bucket via the gear combination unit passage
hole.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the agitation
unit and the driven gear unit are fixed to each other using at
least one of a screw and a hook.
12. A refrigerator comprising: a main body; a door rotatably
combined with the main body; an ice bucket attached to and detached
from the door; and a dual fixing device fixing the ice bucket to
the door, wherein the dual fixing device comprises: a first latch
provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a first
locking part; an elastic member elastically supporting the first
latch; a second latch provided on the ice bucket to be fixed and
comprising a second locking part; a first catch provided on the
door and comprising an upper support surface supporting the upper
end of the first locking part to prevent separation of the ice
bucket in the upward direction and a first side support surface
supporting the side end of the first locking part to prevent
separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction; and a
second catch provided on the door and comprising a lower support
surface supporting the lower end of the second locking part to
prevent separation of the ice bucket in the downward direction and
a second side support surface supporting the side end of the second
locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the
horizontal direction.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the first latch
is provided at a higher position of the ice bucket than the second
latch.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the first latch
is fixed to the first catch after the second latch is fixed to the
second catch.
15. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein locking between
the second latch and the second catch is released after locking
between the first latch and the first catch is released.
16. A refrigerator comprising: a main body comprising a storage
chamber; a door rotatably combined with the main body to open and
close the storage chamber; an ice maker provided on the door; a
detachable ice bucket provided on the door to store ice made by the
ice maker; an auger provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and
comprising a transfer unit transferring the ice in the ice bucket
and a driving gear unit integrally formed with the end of the
transfer unit and transmitting rotary force; an agitator provided
on the ice bucket to be rotated by the rotary force transmitted
from the auger and comprising an agitation unit agitating the ice
in the ice bucket and a driven gear unit engaged with the driving
gear unit and combined with the end of the agitation unit; and a
dual fixing device fixing the detachable ice bucket to the
door.
17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the dual fixing
device comprises: a first latch provided on the ice bucket to be
rotatable and comprising a first locking part; an elastic member
elastically supporting the first latch; a second latch provided on
the ice bucket to be fixed and comprising a second locking part; a
first catch provided on the door and comprising an upper support
surface supporting the upper end of the first locking part to
prevent separation of the ice bucket in the upward direction and a
first side support surface supporting the side end of the first
locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the
horizontal direction; and a second catch provided on the door and
comprising a lower support surface supporting the lower end of the
second locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the
downward direction and a second side support surface supporting the
side end of the second locking part to prevent separation of the
ice bucket in the horizontal direction.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of Korean
Patent Application No. 10-2013-0160832, filed on Dec. 20, 2013 in
the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The following description relates to a refrigerator having
an ice maker provided on a door.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In general, a refrigerator is an electric home appliance
which includes storage chambers storing food and cold air supply
devices supplying cold air to the storage chambers to keep the food
in a fresh state. The storage chambers are provided within a main
body such that the front surfaces of the storage chambers are
opened and the opened front surfaces of the storage chambers are
opened and closed by doors.
[0006] The refrigerator may include an ice maker to make ice, an
ice bucket storing the ice made by the ice maker, an auger
transferring the ice in the ice bucket, an agitator agitating the
ice in the ice bucket, and a driving motor to drive the auger.
[0007] Particularly, the auger and the agitator may be driven
together by one driving motor.
SUMMARY
[0008] Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to
provide a refrigerator in which an auger and an agitator are
operated together by one driving motor, assembly of the auger and
the agitator is simplified, the number of parts of the auger and
the number of parts of the agitator are reduced and thus,
productivity is improved.
[0009] It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a
refrigerator in which an ice bucket is easily attached to and
detached from a door.
[0010] Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in
part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious
from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
disclosure.
[0011] In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a
refrigerator includes a main body including storage chambers, doors
rotatably combined with the main body to open and close the storage
chambers, an ice maker provided on one of the doors, an ice bucket
provided on the door to store ice made by the ice maker, an auger
provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and including a transfer
unit transferring the ice in the ice bucket and a driving gear unit
formed integrally with the end of the transfer unit and
transmitting rotary force, and an agitator provided on the ice
bucket to be rotated by the rotary force transmitted from the auger
and including an agitation unit agitating the ice in the ice bucket
and a driven gear unit engaged with the driving gear unit and
combined with the end of the agitation unit.
[0012] The transfer unit and the driving gear unit may be formed
integrally through injection molding.
[0013] The refrigerator may further include a motor driving the
auger and the auger and the agitator may be rotated together by
driving the motor.
[0014] The auger and the agitator may be rotated in opposite
directions.
[0015] The driving gear unit of the auger and the driven gear unit
of the agitator may be disposed at the outside of the ice
bucket.
[0016] The ice bucket may include a driving gear unit passage hole
through which the driving gear unit of the auger passes.
[0017] The auger may further include an auger separation prevention
rib having a greater diameter than the diameter of the driving gear
unit passage hole to prevent the auger from being separated to the
outside of the ice bucket via the driving gear unit passage
hole.
[0018] The agitation unit may include a gear combination unit
provided at the end of the agitation rotary shaft so that the
driven gear unit is combined with the gear combination unit.
[0019] The ice bucket may include a gear combination unit passage
hole through which the gear combination unit passes.
[0020] The agitator may further include an agitator separation
prevention rib having a greater diameter than the diameter of the
gear combination unit passage hole to prevent the agitator from
being separated to the outside of the ice bucket via the gear
combination unit passage hole.
[0021] The agitation unit and the driven gear unit may be fixed to
each other using a screw or a hook.
[0022] In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a
refrigerator includes a main body, doors rotatably combined with
the main body, an ice bucket attached to and detached from one of
the doors, and a dual fixing device fixing the ice bucket to the
door, wherein the dual fixing device includes first latches
provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable, each of the first
latches including a first locking part, elastic members elastically
supporting the first latches, second latches provided on the ice
bucket to be fixed, each of the second latches including a second
locking part, first catches provided on the door, each of the first
catches including an upper support surface supporting the upper end
of the first locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket
in the upward direction and a first side support surface supporting
the side end of the first locking part to prevent separation of the
ice bucket in the horizontal direction, and second catches provided
on the door, each of the second catches including a lower support
surface supporting the lower end of the second locking part to
prevent separation of the ice bucket in the downward direction and
a second side support surface supporting the side end of the second
locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the
horizontal direction.
[0023] The first latches may be provided at higher positions of the
ice bucket than the second latches.
[0024] The first latches may be fixed to the first catches after
the second latches are fixed to the second catches.
[0025] Locking between the second latches and the second catches
may be released after locking between the first latches and the
first catches are released.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become
apparent and more readily appreciated from the following
description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings of which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an ice bucket of
the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the ice
bucket, an auger, and an agitator of the refrigerator of FIG.
1;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the ice bucket of the
refrigerator of FIG. 1;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating the ice
bucket of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the ice bucket of
the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an attachment and detachment
structure of the ice bucket on a door of the refrigerator of FIG.
1;
[0034] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a fixation structure between a
second latch and a second catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a fixation structure between a
first latch and a first catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
and
[0036] FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating the fixation
structure between the first latch and the first catch of the
refrigerator of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of
the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to
like elements throughout.
[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is
a perspective view illustrating an ice bucket of the refrigerator
of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the
ice bucket, an auger, and an agitator of the refrigerator of FIG.
1. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the ice bucket of the
refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view
illustrating the ice bucket of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 6
is a sectional view illustrating the ice bucket of the refrigerator
of FIG. 1.
[0039] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, a refrigerator 1 in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a
main body 10 forming the external appearance of the refrigerator 1,
storage chambers 18 and 19 formed within the main body 10 and
storing food, doors 20 and 30 combined with the main body 10 to
open and close the storage chambers 18 and 19, an ice maker 11
making ice, and an ice bucket assembly 50 storing the ice made by
the ice maker 11. The ice bucket assembly 50 includes an ice bucket
80 and an ice bucket cover 60 combined with the front surface of
the ice bucket 80.
[0040] The storage chambers 18 and 19 may include a freezing
chamber 18 formed in the left portion of the main body 10 and a
refrigerating chamber 19 formed in the right portion of the main
body 10. The freezing chamber 18 and the refrigerating chamber 19
may be divided by a diaphragm 17.
[0041] The doors 20 and 30 may include a door 20 opening and
closing the freezing chamber 18 and a door 30 opening and closing
the refrigerating chamber 19. The doors 20 and 30 may be combined
with the main body 10 by hinges 15 and 16 to be rotatable.
[0042] A driving motor 120 transmitting rotary force to an auger 90
of the ice bucket 80 when the door 20 is closed may be provided on
the side wall of the main body 10. Therefore, in the refrigerator
in accordance with the embodiment of the present disclosure,
connection between the auger 90 and the driving motor 120 may be
released when the door 20 is opened and the auger 90 and the
driving motor 120 may be connected when the door 20 is closed.
[0043] By providing the driving motor 120 on the side wall of the
main body 10 in such a manner, an ice storage space within the ice
bucket 80 may be increased and the structure of the ice bucket 80
may be simplified.
[0044] The auger 90 is provided in the ice bucket 80 to transfer
ice stored in the ice bucket 80 to an ice discharge port. When the
driving motor 120 is operated, the auger 90 may be rotated to
transfer the ice.
[0045] Further, an agitator 100 agitating the stored ice is
provided in the ice bucket 80. The agitator 100 is connected to the
auger 90 and thus, when the auger 90 is rotated, the agitator 100
may be rotated in connection with the auger 90.
[0046] The auger 90 includes a transfer unit 91 transferring ice in
the ice bucket 80 and a driving gear unit 96 formed at the
lengthwise end of the transfer unit 91 and transferring rotary
force to the agitator 100.
[0047] The transfer unit 91 may include an auger rotary shaft 92
and a transfer blade 93 protruding from the auger rotary shaft 92
in the radial direction to transfer ice. The transfer blade 93 may
be provided in a spiral shape and transfer ice in the axial
direction when the auger 90 is rotated.
[0048] The driving gear unit 96 may be disposed at the outside of
the ice bucket 80 and engaged with a driven gear unit 116 of the
agitator 100. When the driving gear unit 96 is rotated, the driven
gear unit 116 may be rotated in the opposite direction to the
rotation direction of the driving gear unit 96.
[0049] A driving gear unit passage hole 81 through which the
driving gear unit 96 passes may be formed on the ice bucket 80.
Therefore, the auger 90 may be combined with the ice bucket 80 by
causing the driving gear unit 96 to pass through the driving gear
unit passage hole 81 from the inside to the outside of the ice
bucket 80.
[0050] The auger 90 may include a coupler combination unit 97 with
which a coupler 98 combined with the driving motor 120 and
receiving driving force transmitted from the driving motor 120 and
an auger separation prevention rib 95 preventing the auger 90 from
being separated to the outside of the ice bucket 80 through the
driving gear unit passage hole 81.
[0051] The auger separation prevention rib 95 may have a greater
diameter than the diameter of the driving gear unit passage hole 81
and be supported by the inner surface of the ice bucket 80.
[0052] The transfer unit 91 and the driving gear unit 96 may be
integrally formed of a resin through injection molding. Therefore,
the auger including the transfer unit 91 and the driving gear unit
96 may be formed integrally. Although not shown in the drawings, an
iron core may be provided within the auger rotary shaft 92 to
reinforce the auger rotary shaft 92. Here, the iron core may be
inserted into a mold for the auger 90 and then, the auger 90 be
formed around the iron core by injection molding.
[0053] The agitator 100 includes an agitation unit 110 agitating
ice in the ice bucket 80 and the driven gear unit 116 combined with
the end of the agitation unit 110, engaged with the driving gear
unit 96, and rotated. The agitation unit 110 is disposed at the
inside of the ice bucket 80 and the driven gear unit 116 is
disposed at the outside of the ice bucket 80.
[0054] The agitation unit 110 may agitate ice, thus preventing the
ice from clumping and guiding the ice to be efficiently dispensed.
The agitation unit 110 may include an agitation rotary shaft 111,
agitation blades 112 protruding from the agitation rotary shaft 111
in the radial direction to agitate ice, and a gear combination unit
113 provided at the end of the agitation rotary shaft 111 so that
the driven gear unit 116 is combined with the gear combination unit
113.
[0055] A gear combination unit passage hole 82 through which the
gear combination unit 113 of the agitator 100 passes may be formed
on the ice bucket 82. Therefore, the agitation unit 110 and the
driven gear unit 116 may be combined with each other through the
gear combination unit passage hole 82.
[0056] The agitation unit 110 and the driven gear unit 116 may be
firmly coupled with a screw S. For this purse, coupling holes 114
and 117 may be formed through the agitation unit 110 and the driven
gear unit 116. However, differently from this embodiment, the
agitation unit 110 and the driven gear unit 116 may be combined
through a hook structure.
[0057] The agitator 100 includes an agitator separation prevention
rib 115 preventing the agitator 100 from being separated to the
outside of the ice bucket 80 through the gear combination unit
passage hole 82.
[0058] The agitator separation prevention rib 115 may have a
greater diameter than the diameter of the gear combination unit
passage hole 82 and be supported by the inner surface of the ice
bucket 80.
[0059] FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an attachment and detachment
structure of the ice bucket on a door of the refrigerator of FIG.
1. FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a fixation structure between a
second latch and a second catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG.
9 is a view illustrating a fixation structure between a first latch
and a first catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a
sectional view illustrating the fixation structure between the
first latch and the first catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.
[0060] The refrigerator in accordance with the embodiment of the
present disclosure includes a dual fixing device fixing the ice
bucket 50 to the door 20.
[0061] The dual fixing device includes first latches 61 provided on
the ice bucket 50 to be rotatable, each of the first latches 61
including a first locking part 62, second latches 71 provided on
the ice bucket 50 to be fixed, each of the second latches 71
including a second locking part 72, first catches 21 provided on
the door 20 to correspond to the first latches 61, and second
catches 31 provided on the door 20 to correspond to the second
latches 71.
[0062] The first latches 61 are provided at higher positions than
the second latches 71 and thus, the first catches 21 may be
provided at higher positions than the second catches 31.
[0063] The first latch 61 may include a rotary shaft 66, the first
locking part 62, a pressing part 67 to apply pressure to release
locking between the first latch 61 and the first catch 21, and an
elastic member 65 elastically supporting the first latch 61.
[0064] When pressure is applied to the pressing part 67, the first
latch 61 is rotated and thus, locking between the first latch 61
and the first catch 21 may be released and, when pressure applied
to the pressing part 67 is removed, the first latch 67 may return
to the locking position by elastic force of the elastic member
65.
[0065] The first catch 21 may include an upper support surface 22
supporting an upper end 63 of the first locking part 62 to prevent
separation of the ice bucket 50 in the upward direction and a first
side support surface 23 supporting a side end 64 of the first
locking part 62 to prevent separation of the ice bucket 50 in the
horizontal direction.
[0066] Thereby, the first latch 61 and the first catch 21 may
prevent separation of the ice bucket 50 in the upward direction and
separation of the ice bucket 50 in the horizontal direction.
[0067] The second catch 31 may include a lower support surface 32
supporting a lower end 73 of the second locking part 72 to prevent
separation of the ice bucket 50 in the downward direction and a
second side support surface 33 supporting a side end 74 of the
second locking part 72 to prevent separation of the ice bucket 50
in the horizontal direction.
[0068] Thereby, the second latch 71 and the second catch 31 may
prevent separation of the ice bucket 50 in the downward direction
and separation of the ice bucket 50 in the horizontal
direction.
[0069] The ice bucket 50 in accordance with the embodiment of the
present disclosure is fixed in the upward, downward, and horizontal
directions by the dual fixing device in such a manner and may thus
be stably fixed regardless of vibration due to operation of the
driving motor 120.
[0070] The ice bucket 50 having the above configuration in
accordance with the embodiment of the present disclosure may be
mounted on the door 20 by sequentially fixing the lower portion of
the ice bucket 50 and then fixing the upper portion of the ice
bucket 50. That is, after the second latches 71 are fixed to the
second catches 31, the first latches 51 may be fixed to the first
catches 21.
[0071] Therefore, the ice bucket 50 may be easily mounted on the
door 20 by fixing the lower portion of the ice bucket 50 and then
pushing the upper portion of the ice bucket 50.
[0072] On the other hand, the ice bucket 50 may be easily separated
from the door 20 by releasing locking of the upper portion of the
ice bucket 50 and then releasing locking of the lower portion of
the ice bucket 50. That is, after locking between the first latches
51 and the first catches 21 is released, locking between the second
latches 71 and the second catches 31 may be released.
[0073] As is apparent from the above description, in a refrigerator
in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
number of parts of an auger and the number of parts of an agitator
are reduced and thus, productivity of the refrigerator may be
improved and the auger and the agitator may be simply
assembled.
[0074] Further, an ice bucket may be easily attached to and
detached from a door and stably fixed to the door.
[0075] Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have
been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled
in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without
departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the
scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *