CN102012143B - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator having a water supply device integrally formed with a rear surface of a storage chamber thereof. The refrigerator includes a storage chamber door to open and close a storage chamber, a dispenser mounted to the storage chamber door, and a water supply device separably connected to a rear surface of the storage chamber door adjacent to the dispenser, so as to supply water to the dispenser.

Description

refrigerator

technical field

Embodiments relate to a refrigerator capable of improving sanitation and space efficiency by configuring a water supply device integrated with a rear surface of a door of a storage room.

Background technique

Generally, a refrigerator refers to a device for storing food at a low temperature, and more specifically, refers to a device for storing food in a frozen state or in a refrigerated state according to the type of food to be stored.

Recently, refrigerators have been equipped with a dispenser, ie, a device that allows a user to take out water or ice stored in the refrigerator from the outside without opening a door of the refrigerator, thereby improving user convenience. In addition, an ice making unit that is supplied with water from the outside and makes ice to be taken out through the dispenser may also be provided.

The dispenser and ice making unit require a supply of water from the outside to operate. For this, the refrigerator is connected to the water supply. The water in the water supply source is divided by a valve and supplied to the refrigerator. Part of the water is split at the valve and fed to the ice making unit and another part of the water is fed to the tank. The water tank is connected to a dispenser installed on the front of the door of the refrigerator through a supply pipe.

However, in general, the ice making unit is usually installed in the freezer, the water tank is installed in the freezer, and the dispenser is installed to the door of the freezer. Therefore, installation of supply pipes supplying water to these parts is complicated. Therefore, the overall length of the supply pipe should be increased, which complicates the manufacturing process and deteriorates sanitation.

Contents of the invention

Therefore, it is an aspect to provide a refrigerator having a water supply device integrally formed with a rear surface of a refrigerator door, thereby simplifying the structure and reducing manufacturing costs.

Another aspect provides a refrigerator having improved sanitation by enabling a water supply device to be detached from a refrigerator door so that a filter assembly, a water tank assembly, and a supply pipe can be cleaned or replaced.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part below and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing a refrigerator comprising: a storage compartment door for opening and closing the storage compartment; a dispenser mounted to the storage compartment door; a water supply device detachably connected to the storage compartment door; The rear surface is adjacent to the dispenser for supplying water to the dispenser.

The water supply device may further include a case having an accommodating portion to accommodate the water tank assembly, the case being detachably connected to the rear surface of the door.

The case may further include hook portions formed on both sides of the receiving portion and detachably engaged with the rear surface of the door.

The door may include a support protrusion formed on a rear surface of the door to support the door, and the hook portion may be detachably engaged with the support protrusion.

The case may further include a cover member, thereby allowing the components installed in the receiving portion to be invisible from an external view. The case may include: a first case having a first path; and a second case having a second path forming an internal passage of water by being connected with the first path. The case may include an LED light to display the status of the water stored in the water tank assembly.

The water tank assembly may include a connector connected to an external water supply source and a water tank detachably connected to the connector. The water tank may include a tank body storing water and a tank cover detachably connected to an upper portion of the tank body.

The box body can be made of transparent material.

The water supply device may further include a filter assembly received in the receiving portion of the case to clean water supplied from an external water supply source and supply the cleaned water to the water tank assembly.

The filter assembly may include a connector connected to an external water supply source and a water cleaning filter detachably connected to the connector.

The refrigerator may further include an ice maker installed in the storage compartment to produce ice, wherein the water supply device may further include a control valve that selectively supplies water passing through the filter assembly to the ice maker or the water tank assembly.

The water supply device may further include a shield member connected to the case to surround the control valve to shield noise.

The water supply device may further include a supply pipe connecting the water supply device to a dispenser or an external water supply source from a rear surface of the storage compartment door.

A receiving part may be formed at the storage compartment door to secure a space in the foam material in which the supply pipe is connected to an external water supply source or a dispenser.

The refrigerator may further include a hinge unit pivotably supporting the storage compartment door, wherein the receiving portion is disposed adjacent to the hinge unit.

The receiving portion may have the form of a pipe having a diameter larger than that of the supply pipe.

The foregoing and/or other aspects can also be achieved by providing a refrigerator, which includes: a main body; a refrigerating chamber disposed on the upper part of the main body; a freezing chamber disposed on the lower part of the main body, and the refrigerator also includes: a refrigerating chamber door that is opened and The refrigerating compartment is closed; a water tank assembly is detachably connected to a rear surface of the refrigerating compartment to store water; and a dispenser is formed on the front of a door of the refrigerating compartment to allow a user to take out water stored in the water tank assembly.

The water tank assembly may include a connector connected to an external water supply source and a water tank detachably connected to the connector.

The refrigerator may further include a case to accommodate the water tank assembly, the case being detachably connected to a rear surface of the refrigerator door.

The refrigerator may further include: a filter assembly accommodated in the case to clean water supplied from an external water supply source; and a supply pipe provided in a foam material filling the inside of the refrigerator door to connect the filter assembly to the A water supply device; an accommodating portion formed in the refrigerator door to accommodate a supply pipe such that the supply pipe is movable in the foam material.

The refrigerator may further include: a supply pipe provided in the foam material filling the inside of the refrigerator compartment door to connect the water tank assembly to the dispenser; is removable.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator includes: a main body; a refrigerating chamber provided at an upper portion of the main body; a refrigerating chamber door connected to the main body to open and close the refrigerating chamber; an ice making device installed in the refrigerating chamber to produce ice a dispenser mounted on the front of the refrigerator door; a water supply device removably connected to the rear surface of the refrigerator door to selectively supply water from an external water supply source to the ice making device or the dispenser.

The water supply device may include: a filter assembly supplied with water from an external water supply source to make the water clean; a water tank assembly storing water cleaned by the filter assembly; a control valve controlling supply of water to the ice making device or the water tank assembly ; The housing, which accommodates the filter assembly, the water tank assembly and the control valve, is detachably connected to the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment.

The refrigerator may further include: a first supply pipe connecting the filter assembly to the water supply source; a second supply pipe connecting the filter assembly to the control valve; a third supply pipe connecting the control valve to the water tank assembly; a fourth supply pipe , to connect the control valve to the ice making device that produces ice; the fifth supply pipe, to connect the water tank assembly to the distributor, through which the water is taken out.

The case may include: a first case having a first path; and a second case having a second path forming an internal passage of water by being connected with the first path.

The fifth supply pipe may be movable in the refrigerator door.

As described above, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment, the water supply device which conventionally has a complicated structure can be simplified in structure, thereby reducing manufacturing cost. In addition, the filter assembly, the water tank assembly, and the supply pipe may be cleaned or replaced by detaching the water supply unit from the refrigerator door. Therefore, the water supply device can be kept in a hygienic state.

Description of drawings

These and/or other aspects will become clear and easier to understand through the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an appearance of a refrigerator according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an internal structure of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the water supply device of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1;

4 is a perspective view of the water supply device when viewed from the front of the refrigerator door;

5A to 5C are diagrams showing a process of assembling or disassembling the connector and the water cleaning filter according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the water tank according to the embodiment of Fig. 1;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the LED lamp according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the connection relationship between the water supply device and the water supply source and the distributor according to the embodiment of Fig. 1;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a water supply device of a refrigerator according to another embodiment.

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an appearance of a refrigerator according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a main body 10 of a refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber 20 and a freezing chamber 30 as storage spaces. The refrigerator compartment 20 and the freezer compartment 30 are vertically divided by a partition 40 inside the main body 10 . In this embodiment, the refrigerating chamber 20 is disposed on the upper portion of the main body 10 , and the freezing chamber 30 is disposed on the lower portion of the main body 10 . However, the embodiment is not limited to such a structure and the embodiment may be constructed in a reverse manner or may be applied to a side-by-side refrigerator.

The refrigerating chamber 20 and the freezing chamber 30 are opened toward the front of the main body 10 . The front side of the opening of the refrigerating compartment 20 and the opening front side of the freezing compartment 30 are opened or closed by the door 50 and the door 60, respectively. In particular, the refrigerating compartment 20 is opened and closed by a pair of refrigerating compartment doors 50 . The refrigerating compartment door 50 is pivotally supported by hinge units 70 installed at both upper and lower sides of the front of the main body 10 .

A door handle 80 is formed at the front end of the front side of each refrigerating compartment door 50 . The user holds the handle 80 and applies force to open and close the refrigerating compartment door 50 . The freezer door 60 also has a door handle 90 on the upper front portion of the freezer door 60 . The freezer door 60 is withdrawable from the freezer 30 like a drawer.

In addition, an ice making compartment 100 for producing ice is installed at an inner upper portion of the refrigerating compartment 20 . Compared with the refrigerating chamber 20, the ice making chamber 100 is at a relatively low temperature, so the ice making chamber 100 is isolated by a dedicated heat insulating partition 100a.

An ice making device 110 that actually produces ice is provided in the ice making chamber 100 . The ice making device 110 receives the supplied water in the ice making tray 111 and freezes the water using the low inner temperature of the ice making compartment 100 . The ice storage unit 112 is disposed at a lower portion of the ice making device 110 to store ice produced by the ice making device 110 . The ice produced at the ice making device 110 may be transferred to the ice storage unit 112 through various methods.

The produced ice is temporarily stored in the ice storage unit 112 and transferred by the ice transfer unit 113 . The ice storage unit 112 is in fluid communication with an ice discharge duct 114 formed through the refrigerating compartment door 50 and the insulating partition 100a. The ice discharge duct 114 is selectively opened or closed to transfer ice to the dispenser 200 installed at the refrigerator door 50 . More specifically, the ice discharge duct 114 is formed at the refrigerating chamber door 50 to be in fluid communication with the dispenser 200 in an outward direction. In addition, the ice discharge duct 114 is in fluid communication with the ice storage unit 112 through the heat insulating partition 100 a of the ice making compartment 100 in an inward direction.

The dispenser 200 enables a user to take out water or ice without opening the refrigerator door 50 . That is, the dispenser 200 has a structure for taking out water or ice. For example, the dispenser 200 may include an operation button or an operation lever exposed at the front of the refrigerating chamber door 50 to input a signal related to opening and closing of the discharge port, and discharge water or ice through the discharge port.

The operation of the dispenser 200 and the ice making device 110 requires water supplied from the outside. For this, the water supply device 300 is integrally formed with the rear surface 50a of the refrigerating chamber door 50 and connected to an external water supply source such as a faucet.

Hereinafter, a water supply device of a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 .

Although the water supply device of the present embodiment is provided on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door, the water supply device may be formed on the rear surface of the freezer compartment door by appropriately modifying the structure so that water in the water supply device does not freeze by using an insulating member.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the water supply device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 . Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the water supply device as viewed from the front of the refrigerator compartment door.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the water supply device 300 includes a case 400 , a filter assembly 500 , a water tank assembly 600 , a control valve 700 and a supply pipe 800 .

The case 400 is installed along a guide rail 51 formed on a rear surface 50 a of the refrigerator compartment door 50 . Therefore, since the case 400 is installed close to the dispenser 200 and the ice making device 110, it is possible to make the system including the first supply pipe P1, the second supply pipe P2, the third supply pipe P3, the fourth supply pipe P4, and the fifth supply pipe P5 The overall length of the supply pipe 800 is reduced.

The case 400 includes: an accommodating part 410 accommodating the filter assembly 500, the water tank assembly 600 and the control valve 700; . The water supply device 300 may further include a frame 300 a connecting the water tank assembly 600 and the filter assembly 500 to the case 400 .

The receiving part 410 may be pressed inward at a predetermined depth to accommodate the filter assembly 500 , the water tank assembly 600 and the control valve 700 . The accommodating part 410 may include: an upper accommodating part 411 accommodating the filter assembly 500 and the water tank assembly 600 ; a lower accommodating part 412 accommodating the control valve 700 .

To accommodate the filter assembly 500 and the water tank assembly 600 , the upper accommodation part 411 may be larger than the lower accommodation part 412 . A shield cover 412 a may be connected to the lower accommodation part 412 to shield noise generated by the operation of the control valve 700 .

The hook part 420 may be formed on both sides of the upper receiving part 411 . A guide rail 51 is installed at a rear surface 50a of the refrigerator compartment door 50, and support protrusions 51a are formed on both inner sides of the guide rail 51 to support a door (not shown). The hook portion 420 is configured such that the case 400 is supported by support protrusions 51 a formed at both sides for supporting a gate (not shown) while the case 400 is inserted between both sides of the guide rail 51 . Therefore, the water supply device 300 is connected to the rear surface 50a through the support protrusion 51a adapted to support the door (not shown), thereby obtaining an economical structure.

The filter assembly 500 is disposed in the upper receiving part 411 of the case 400 . The filter assembly 500 cleans water supplied from an external water supply source through the first supply pipe P1 to make the water drinkable for users. The filter assembly 500 includes a connector 510 and a water cleaning filter 520 .

5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a process of assembling or disassembling the connector and the water cleaning filter according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 . 5A to 5C, the connector 510 includes: an inlet 511 connected to the first supply pipe P1 to guide water into the water cleaning filter 520; an outlet 512 connected to the second supply pipe P2 to direct the water to The external leads to the control valve 700. The connector 510 also includes: a first port 513 through which water flowing in through the inlet 511 moves to the water cleaning filter 520; a second port 514 through which water moves from the water cleaning filter 520 to the outlet through the second port 514 512.

The first port 513 and the second port 514 are hollow. Accordingly, a sealing member 515 may be provided in a portion of an inner wall of each of the first port 513 and the second port 514, thereby preventing water leakage. In addition, the first port 513 and the second port 514 respectively include a first hook 513 a and a second hook 514 a made of elastic material and detachably connected to the water cleaning filter 520 .

The water cleaning filter 520 includes: a filter housing 521; a first guide 522 protruding from the filter housing 521 to be connected to the first port 513; a second guide 523 protruding from the filter housing 521 to Connected to the second port 514; the connection guide 524, connected to the first guide 522 and the second guide 523; a filter element (not shown), arranged at the filter housing 521 and made of non-woven fabric or reverse permeable membrane.

The first guide 522 and the second guide 523 protrude in the form of a tube and are inserted in the first port 513 and the second port 514, respectively. The first guide 522 and the second guide 523 include a first locking protrusion 522a and a second locking protrusion 523a, respectively. The first locking protrusion 522 a is engaged with the first hook 513 a of the first port 513 , and the second locking protrusion 523 a is engaged with the second hook 514 a of the second port 514 .

More specifically, the first locking protrusion 522a and the second locking protrusion 523a protrude outward from portions of the first guide 522 and the second guide 523, and are detachable from the first hook 513a and the second hook 514a. join.

The connection guide 524 may have a push rod form hollow through the center and the connection guide 524 is installed to the first guide 522 and the second guide 523 . That is, the connection guide 524 is a hard rod having a circular cross-sectional shape. When the connection guide 524 is pushed toward the connector 510, the first hook 513a and the second hook 514a made of elastic material are pushed and thus the first hook 513a and the second hook 514a are released from the first locking protrusion 522a and the second locking protrusion 522a. The locking protrusion 523a is released. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C , it is possible to easily connect the water cleaning filter 520 to the connector 510 and detach the water cleaning filter 520 from the connector 510 even in a narrow space.

The control valve 700 is formed in the lower accommodation part 410 of the case 400 . The water passing through the filter assembly 500 is cleaned and supplied to the control valve 700 through the second supply pipe P2. The control valve 700 separately supplies the water supplied from the second supply pipe P2 to the third supply pipe P3 and the fourth supply pipe P4.

The control valve 700 may include a pair of solenoid valves (not shown) formed in the control valve 700 to selectively supply the water supplied through the second supply pipe P2 to the third supply pipe P3 and the fourth supply pipe P4. or interrupt. The water supplied to the third supply pipe P3 is supplied to the water tank assembly 600 and then supplied to the dispenser 200, while the water supplied to the fourth supply pipe P4 is supplied to the ice making device 110 to become ice.

As described above, the control valve 700 can be shielded from noise using the shield cover 412 a covering the lower housing portion 410 .

The water tank assembly 600 is formed in the upper receiving part 410 of the case 400 . The water tank assembly 600 may be disposed at a lower portion of the filter assembly 500 . The water tank assembly 600 receives water flowing into the control valve 700 through the third supply pipe P3 and stores the water at a temperature lower than a predetermined one. That is, the water tank assembly 600 stores a predetermined amount of water and supplies the water to the dispenser 200 in a cold state to supply cold water to a user. That is, a predetermined amount of cleaned water passing through the filter assembly 500 may always be supplied to and stored in the water tank assembly 600 .

The water tank assembly 600 may include a connector 610 and a water tank 620 detachably connected to the connector 610 . Although not shown, the connector 610 includes an inlet connected to the third supply pipe P3 to guide water into the water tank 620 , and an outlet connected to the fifth supply pipe P5 to guide water out of the dispenser 200 .

Although not shown, the case 400 may further include a cover member, allowing components installed in the accommodation part 410 to be hidden from view from the outside. Accordingly, the cover member does not expose the water supply device 300 to the outside, thereby improving aesthetics of the refrigerating compartment door 50 .

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a water tank 620 according to the above-described embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the water tank 620 may include a tank body 621 and a tank cover 622 connected to an upper portion of the tank body 621 . The case body 621 has a small locking portion 621 a protruding on the outer periphery of the case body 621 . The case cover 622 has a cover portion 622a covering the case body 621, a connecting portion 622b for connecting with the case body 621, and locking protrusions 622c protruding from the inner surface of each connecting portion 622b and engaging with the locking portion of the case body 621. 621 a is elastically engaged and released from the locking portion 621 a of the case 621 .

According to the water tank 620 structured as described above, the tank body 621 is connected to the tank cover 622 as described below. The locking protrusions 622c protruding from the inner surfaces of the connection parts 622b disposed opposite to each other are pressed toward the case 621, and thus elastically engage the locking protrusions 622c with the locking parts 621a. Thus, the case cover 622 is connected to the case body 621 . When a force is applied to the connecting portion 622b in a direction opposite to the case 621, the locking portion 621a and the locking protrusion 622c are released from each other. Therefore, the water tank 620 may be conveniently separated and cleaned, thereby maintaining the sanitation of the water tank 620 .

The water tank 620 is made of a transparent material so that a user can easily check the state of water in the water tank 620 .

In addition, the case 400 disposed adjacent to the water tank 620 may include an LED light 900 displaying a state of water to inform a user of a cleaning cycle. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the LED lamp 900 .

Referring to FIG. 7, when the water is kept in the water tank 620 for 7 days or more, the LED light 900 emits red light, or when the water is kept in the water tank 620 for less than 7 days, the LED light 900 emits blue light.

If the user does not clean the water tank 620 although the red light is on, the LED light 900 blinks red to warn the user of the state of the water tank 620 . Also, if the user does not press the reset button even after cleaning the water tank 620, the LED light 900 blinks.

When the user cleans the water tank 620 and presses the reset button while the red light is on, the LED light 900 emits blue light. Therefore, the user can easily recognize the cleaning cycle through the state of the LED light 900 and the hygienic condition in the water tank 620 .

Next, a process of supplying water supplied from a water supply source to the dispenser and the ice making device through a plurality of supply pipes will be described in detail.

The first supply pipe P1 is provided to guide water from a water supply source to the water supply device 300 . The first supply pipe P1 is connected to the filter assembly 500 installed at the rear surface 50a of the refrigerating compartment door 50 by passing through the upper surface 50b of the refrigerating compartment door 50 .

The water guided into the filter assembly 500 moves through the second supply pipe P2 disposed at the lower portion of the first supply pipe P1. The second supply pipe P2 is connected to the control valve 700 at the side opposite to the side connected to the filter assembly 500 .

The water flows into the control valve 700 and moves separately to the third supply pipe P3 and the fourth supply pipe P4. In other words, a part of the water moving along the second supply pipe P2 flows to the third supply pipe P3, and another part of the water flows to the fourth supply pipe P4.

The third supply pipe P3 is connected to the ice making device 110 . The ice making device 110 produces ice through water cleaned by the filter assembly 500 for use by a user. The ice is supplied to the user through the dispenser 200 .

The fourth supply pipe P4 is connected to the water tank assembly 600 . The water tank assembly 600 supplies cold water to the dispenser 200 for use by a user while storing a predetermined amount of water in a refrigerated state. A fifth supply pipe P5 is installed at a portion of the water tank assembly 600 for discharging water from the water tank assembly 600 .

The fifth supply pipe P5 is connected to the dispenser 200 at the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door. The water discharged from the water tank assembly 600 is transferred to the dispenser 200 through the fifth supply pipe P5 and supplied to the user through the dispenser 200 .

The connection between the first supply pipe P1 and the water supply source will be explained below with reference to FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the connection of the water supply device to a water supply source and a dispenser according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , a hinge unit 70 is mounted to an upper surface 50 b of the refrigerating compartment door 50 to enable opening and closing of the refrigerating compartment door 50 . The insertion hole 50c is formed by penetrating a part of the upper surface 50b of the refrigerator compartment door 50 for connection with the hinge unit 70 .

The foam material 50d fills the inner side 500a of the refrigerator compartment door 50 . The first receiving hole H1 is formed in the refrigerating compartment door 50 and is disposed close to the insertion hole 50c so that the first supply pipe P1 is movable within the refrigerating compartment door 50 . That is, the first receiving hole H1 forms a path allowing the first supply pipe P1 to move from the rear surface 50 a of the refrigerating compartment door 50 to the upper surface 50 b of the refrigerating compartment door 50 .

The first receiving hole H1 may have the form of a pipe having a diameter greater than that of the first supply pipe P1. Accordingly, since the first supply pipe P1 of the water supply device 300 connected to the water supply source is not fixed by the foam material 50d of the refrigerator compartment door 50, replacement of the first supply pipe P1 may be easily performed.

Next, the connection between the fifth supply pipe P5 and the distributor 200 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, the water tank assembly 600 has a fifth supply pipe P5 at a portion where water is discharged. The fifth supply pipe P5 is connected to the dispenser 200 to supply water to users.

More specifically, the dispenser 200 includes a dispenser base 200a pressed inwardly at a predetermined depth from the front of the refrigerating compartment door 50 . In the dispenser base 200a, a second accommodation hole H2 is formed in the foam material 50d for connection with the fifth supply pipe P5.

Accordingly, when the fifth supply pipe P5 having a pipe form formed at the dispenser base 200 a is inserted into the second receiving hole H2 , water may be supplied from the fifth supply pipe P5 to the dispenser 200 .

Since the second receiving holes H2 are formed at a predetermined interval from the fifth supply pipe P5 in the foam material 50d filling the refrigerating chamber door 50, the fifth supply pipe P5 is freely movable without being fixed by the foam material 50d. Accordingly, cleaning or replacement of the fifth supply pipe P5 may be conveniently performed, thus improving the hygiene of the fifth supply pipe P5.

Another embodiment will now be described with reference to FIG. 9 . Elements that are the same as those of the previous embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be explained again. Fig. 9 shows a water supply device according to another embodiment.

Referring to Fig. 9, the water supply device 300' includes a shell 400', a filter assembly 500', a water tank assembly 600', a control valve 700', a supply pipe P1', a supply pipe P2', a supply pipe P3', a supply pipe P4' and a supply Tube P5'.

The case 400' includes: a first case 430' including a first path 430a'; a second case 440' including a second path 440a' connected to the first path 430a', thereby forming an internal passage of water.

Water from a water supply source may be supplied to the filter assembly 500' through a first supply pipe P1'. The second supply pipe P2' is connected to an internal passage formed by connection between the first case 430' and the second case 440' so that water can be supplied from the filter assembly 500' to the control valve 700'. In addition, the third supply pipe P3' and the fourth supply pipe P4' are connected to the inner passage so that water can be supplied to the water tank assembly 600' and the ice making device 110 from the control valve 700'. In addition, a fifth supply pipe P5' is connected to the internal passage so that water can be supplied from the water tank assembly 600' to a dispenser (not shown).

According to this, since the first case 430' and the second case 440' are connected to form an internal passage allowing water to pass through, the total length of the supply pipe P1' to the supply pipe P5' is reduced. Furthermore, undesired bending of the supply pipe P1' to the supply pipe P5' due to insufficient installation space can be prevented.

Furthermore, since the size of the internal passage formed by the connection between the first path 430a' and the second path 440a' is variable, the distance from the point through the filter assembly 500' to the tank assembly 600' can be controlled. The velocity of the water flow at the point.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the embodiment has the water supply device integrally formed with the rear surface of the refrigerating chamber door, thus improving sanitation, space efficiency, and material utilization.

While certain embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents. Make changes.

Claims (13)

1. a refrigerator, comprising:

Door of storage room, for opening and close storeroom;

Distributor, is installed to described door of storage room;

Water supply installation, can be connected to the rear surface of described door of storage room adjacent with described distributor discretely, for supplying water to described distributor,

Described refrigerator also comprises cistern assembly,

Wherein, described water supply installation also comprises the shell with holding portion, and to hold described cistern assembly, described shell can be connected to the rear surface of described door of storage room discretely,

Wherein, described shell comprises: the first shell, has the first path; The second shell, has by forming the second path of the inner passage of water with described the first Path Connection.

2. refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, described shell also comprises hook portion, described hook portion is formed on the both sides of housing section and can engages discretely with the rear surface of described door of storage room.

3. refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein, described door of storage room comprises on the rear surface that is formed on described door of storage room that, to support a plurality of supporting projections of gate inhibition, described hook portion can engage discretely with described supporting projections.

4. refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, described shell also comprises and covers member, to cover housing section.

5. refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, described shell also comprises the LED lamp that shows the state that is stored in the water in described cistern assembly.

6. refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, described cistern assembly comprises and is connected to the connector of outside resource of water supply and the water tank that can be connected discretely with described connector.

7. refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, described water supply installation also comprises filter assemblies, and described filter assemblies is contained in the holding portion of described shell, so that the water of supplying with from outside resource of water supply becomes clean and the water through clean is supplied to described cistern assembly.

8. refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein, described filter assemblies comprises and is connected to the connector of outside resource of water supply and the water cleaning and filtering that can be connected discretely with described connector.

9. refrigerator according to claim 7, described refrigerator also comprises and is arranged in described storeroom to produce the ice maker of ice, wherein, described water supply installation also comprises control valve, and described control valve is optionally supplied to described ice maker or described cistern assembly by the water through described filter assemblies.

10. refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein, described water supply installation also comprises and is connected to described shell with the shield member around described control valve, to shield noise.

11. refrigerators according to claim 6, wherein, described water supply installation also comprises supply pipe, described supply pipe is connected to described distributor or outside resource of water supply from the rear surface of described door of storage room by described water supply installation.

12. refrigerators according to claim 11, described refrigerator also comprises the holding portion that is formed on described door of storage room and foamed material place, wherein, housing section is guaranteed the space in foamed material, so that described supply pipe is connected to outside resource of water supply or described distributor in described space.

13. refrigerators according to claim 12, described refrigerator also comprises the hinge-unit that can support pivotally described door of storage room, wherein, it is adjacent with described hinge-unit that housing section is set to.