JPH10139099A - Lighting equipment for refrigerator water distributor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To protect a lamp from the influence of water by indirectly illuminating a water intake space where water tends to splash from a water distributor of a refrigerator, and to prevent electric leakage. SOLUTION: In order to indirectly illuminate an intake space 33 of a water distributor of a refrigerator, a lamp 61 provided at a position separated from the intake space 33 by a predetermined distance and separated from the influence of water, and a light radiated from the lamp 61 are provided. The light transmission medium 63 for guiding to the water intake space 33 and the expanding member 65 provided at the end of the light transmission medium 63 to diffuse the light guided to the water intake space 33 by the light transmission medium 63 are provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water dispenser for a refrigerator capable of easily taking water refrigerated inside the refrigerator from the outside. The present invention also relates to a lighting device for a water distributor of a refrigerator that can easily take water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a refrigerator in which cooling water cooled in a refrigerator can be taken from the outside of the refrigerator, as shown in FIG. A water distributor 4 is disposed at one side of the upper door 2 so as to be openable and closable. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 2, a water dispenser 4 of a refrigerator to which a lighting device is applied is provided with a detachable cold water container 5 inside a door.
A water intake cap 7 having an intake port 6 is connected to the lower side of the water supply port. A valve means 8 is provided inside the water intake cap 7 so as to selectively discharge the cooling water W in the cold water container 5. I have. Further, a water intake space 9 is formed below the water intake port 6 so as to receive the water discharged from the water intake port 6, and a water intake lever 10 is provided on the door side of the water intake space 9 so as to operate the valve means 8. Are arranged.

On the other hand, a lamp 11 is provided above the water intake space 9 so as to illuminate when water is taken. The lamp 11 is an incandescent lamp, which is inserted into a lamp socket 12 and is electrically connected to a power supply. Therefore, in a dark night or the like, a switch (not shown) is turned on and the lamp 11 is turned on to illuminate the intake space 9 of the refrigerator.
Facilitates water intake.

[0004]

By the way, in the lighting device of the water distributor 4 of the conventional refrigerator configured as described above,
Since the lamp 11 is directly installed in front of the intake port 6 and is exposed to the outside to illuminate the intake space 9, not only the danger of electric leakage and electric shock due to water splashing from the intake port 6, but also There is a problem that foreign matter enters and the life of the lamp 11 is shortened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to protect a lamp from the effects of bouncing water by indirectly illuminating an intake space where water tends to bounce, An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device for a water distributor of a refrigerator for preventing electric leakage.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a lighting device for a water distributor of a refrigerator according to the present invention, the lighting device having a predetermined distance from the intake space so as to indirectly illuminate the intake space of the water distributor of the refrigerator. A lamp disposed at a position separated from the influence of water, a light transmission medium for guiding light emitted from the lamp to the intake space, and diffusing light guided to the intake space by the light transmission medium. And an expanding member disposed at an end of the light transmission medium. The light transmission medium is made of optical fiber;
The magnifying member is preferably made of a magnifying glass such as a magnifying glass.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 3 shows a refrigerator in which upper and lower doors 2 and 3 are provided as shown in FIG. 1, and a water distributor and a control unit for controlling the water distributor are disposed on the upper door 2. 1 shows a water distributor of a refrigerator to which lighting means according to a first embodiment of the present invention for illuminating an intake space of a water distributor is applied.

As shown in FIG. 3, a chilled water container 20 penetrates through the upper door 2 and is removably mounted thereon. The chilled water container 20 has a filter for removing foreign substances contained in the cooling water W. A lid 24 is detachably coupled to the upper side via the member 22, and a lower cap 26 having a cold water passage 26 a formed therein so that the cooling water W can flow therethrough is coupled to a lower side thereof. A water intake cap 30 having a water intake port 28 at its tip is connected to the lower side of the lower cap 26, and the cooling water W in the cold water container 20 is moved up and down inside the lower cap 26 and the water intake cap 30. The valve means 32 for selectively discharging through the water inlet 28 is provided resiliently. Further, a water intake space 33 is formed below the water intake 28 so as to receive water discharged from the water intake 28 with a container such as a glass.

The valve means 32 has an operating shaft 36 resiliently provided by an elastic member 34 with the lower cap 26.
And the cold water passage 2 fixedly installed at the upper end of the operating shaft 36.
A valve plate 38 for opening and closing 6a, and a first magnet member 40 attached to a lower end of the operating shaft 36;
A plurality of outwardly facing ribs 36a are formed on the outside of the operating shaft 36 so as to protrude. Further, a water intake lever 44 slidably operated in the lateral direction is resiliently installed by an elastic member 34a inside a cover 42 fixedly installed outside the upper door 2, and above the water intake lever 44. A second magnet member 46 that approaches the first magnet member 40 with the sliding operation and raises the operation shaft 36 is mounted.

The first and second magnet members 40 and 46 raise the operating shaft 36 by the repulsion of magnetic force acting as the same polarity approaches each other, and the valve plate 38 opens the cold water passage 26a to cool the cooling water. W can be discharged. The water intake space 33 is formed on the outer surface of the upper door 2, and a lighting unit 60 is provided above the water intake space 33 so as to irradiate the water intake space 33. The illuminating means 60 includes a lamp 61 disposed at a position above the water intake space 33 at a predetermined distance away from the influence of water (mainly, splashing water) and a light radiated from the lamp 61 for the water intake. The lamp 6 is guided to the space 33.
1 and an optical transmission medium 63 whose one end approaches the intake space 33 and the other end of which is disposed close to the intake space 33, and the optical transmission medium 63 diffuses light guided to the intake space 33 by the optical transmission medium 63. It has an expanding member 65 disposed at the end of the medium 63.

The lamp 61 is fixed to the control board 69 by soldering, and a light emitting plate 71 is provided on the side facing the control board 69 so that the control board 69 indicates the current state of control to the outside. It is arranged to be exposed to the outside. The light transmission medium 63 is in the form of a cable made of optical fiber, and its lamp 61 side has a fixing clip 7.
3 is fixed to the control board 69. The magnifying member 65 is made of a magnifying glass such as a magnifying glass. A protruding portion 65a is formed on a flat surface of the hemispherical portion, and an end of the light transmission medium 63 is fitted to the protruding portion 65a. A hole is provided.

In the water distributor of the refrigerator provided with the lighting means 60 constructed as described above, a predetermined amount of cooling water W is supplemented in the chilled water container 20 with the lid 24 opened and the lid 2 is opened.
4 and are installed upright in the vertical direction of the upper door 2 with the cold water container 20, the lower cap 26 and the water intake cap 30 integrated. At this time, the cooling water W in the cold water container 20 is purified water from which foreign matter and the like have been removed from the filter member 22, and the operating shaft 36 of the valve means 32 is
The valve plate 38 closes the upper end of the lower cap 26 by the downward operation by the resilient force, so that the cooling water W does not flow into the cold water passage 26a.

On the other hand, at the time of water intake, after a container such as a cup is positioned below the water inlet 28, that is, in the water intake space 33,
When a force is applied to the water intake lever 44 and the water intake lever 44 is slid, the water intake lever 44 is slid in the horizontal direction while compressing the elastic member 34a, and the second magnet member 46 moves to approach one side of the water intake cap 30. I do. On this occasion,
As the magnets of the same polarity approach each other, the second magnet member 46 and the first magnet member 40 exert a repulsive force, whereby the valve means 32 resiliently installed in the lower cap 26 is opened. That is, the operating shaft 36 rises while compressing the elastic member 34 by the repulsive force acting as the second magnet member 46 approaches, and the operating shaft 36 rises and the valve plate 38 rises. , The cooling water W in the chilled water container 20 flows into the chilled water passage 26a.

Further, the cooling water W flowing into the cold water passage 26a is immediately discharged through a water inlet 28 formed at the lower end of the water intake cap 30 into a container such as a cup, so that water can be taken. On the other hand, when the force applied to the water intake lever 44 is released, the water intake lever 44 returns to its original position due to the elastic force of the elastic member 34a, and the second magnet member 46 moves away from the water intake cap 30 to release the water. The magnetic force acting between one magnet member 40 is lost. Accordingly, the operating shaft 36 is operated downward by the elastic force of the elastic member 34, and the discharge of the cooling water W is stopped by closing the upper end of the cold water passage 26a by downward movement of the valve plate 38. .

Further, in the water dispenser of the refrigerator configured as described above, when water is to be taken in a dark night, when a switch (not shown) is pressed, power is applied to the lamp 61 and light is generated. The light is transmitted through the medium 63 and guided to the expanding member 65, and is diffused by the expanding member 65 to illuminate the intake space 33. Therefore, water can be easily taken in a bright environment.

FIG. 5 shows the upper and lower doors 8 as shown in FIG.
1 and 85, a water distributor 87 is provided on the lower door 85, and a control unit 83 for controlling the water distributor 87 is provided on the upper door 81. 9 shows an illumination device for a water distributor of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which illuminates an intake space. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, two light transmission media 91 and 93 are installed on the upper and lower doors 81 and 85, respectively. An upper portion of the light transmission medium 91 is adjacent to a lamp 95 fixed to a control board of the controller 83, and a lower portion of the light transmission medium 93 is inserted into an expanding member 97 disposed in the water intake space 88,
The lower end of the light transmission medium 91 and the upper end of the light transmission medium 93 are arranged in a line so as to face each other with a distance C of 50 mm or less.

At this time, if the distance between the light transmission media 91 and 93 is within 50 mm, the light is transmitted as it is, so that the light emitted from the lamp 95 is easily transmitted to the expanding member 97 and illuminates the water intake space 88. It becomes possible.

[0018]

According to the lighting device for a water distributor of a refrigerator according to the present invention, a lamp is disposed at a position separated from a water intake space which is easy to jump from the water distributor of the refrigerator by a predetermined distance and away from the influence of water. By indirectly illuminating the space, the lamp can be protected from the effects of water, and leakage can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator to which a general water distributor is applied.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a water distributor of a refrigerator to which a conventional lighting device is applied.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a water distributor of a refrigerator to which the lighting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a refrigerator to which the lighting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view showing a lighting device of a water distributor of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 33 intake space 61 lamp 63, 91, 93 light transmission medium 65, 97 magnifying member 87 water distributor

Claims (4)

[Claims] A lamp disposed at a position separated from the intake space by a predetermined distance from the influence of water so as to indirectly illuminate an intake space of a water distributor of the refrigerator; and A refrigerator comprising: a light transmission medium for leading to the intake space; and an expanding member disposed at an end of the light transmission medium so as to diffuse light guided to the intake space by the light transmission medium. Lighting device for water distributor. 2. The light transmission medium is divided into a plurality of light transmission media and provided in a line, and the distance between the separated light transmission media is 5
The lighting device for a water distributor of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the distance is within 0 mm. 3. The lighting device for a water distributor of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the light transmission medium is made of an optical fiber. 4. The lighting device for a water distributor of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the magnifying member is made of a magnifying glass.