IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,118,826
Granted Patent B2
US 11,118,826 · App. 15/858,118 · Granted Sep 14, 2021

Refrigerator

Inventors: Chang Uo Hong (Hwaseong-si, KR); Jae Koog An (Gwangju, KR); Min Seob Yook (Suwon-si, KR); Moon Gyo Jung (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
F25C5/182F25D11/02F25D23/04F25D23/062F25D23/087F25C2400/10Y02B40/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,118,826
App. No.
15/858,118
Granted
Sep 14, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body including a storage compartment. The refrigerator also includes a door configured to open and close the storage compartment. The refrigerator further includes an ice-making compartment disposed in the storage compartment. The refrigerator also includes and a sealing member disposed at the door to apply a sealing force to the ice-making compartment when the door is closed.

Claims (38)

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a main body including a storage compartment;

a door configured to open and close the storage compartment and including a space recessed in a rear side of the door;

an ice-making compartment including:

an ice-making housing disposed in the storage compartment,

an ice bucket mounting hole formed at a front panel of the ice-making housing to allow an ice bucket to be introduced or withdrawn therethrough, and

a cool air outlet formed between an upper inner surface of the ice bucket mounting hole and an upper end of an ice bucket cover for the ice bucket mounted in the ice bucket mounting hole, the ice-making compartment disposed in the storage compartment to align to the space of the door when the door is closed, wherein cool air flows through the cool air outlet from the ice-making compartment into the space of the door; and

a seal disposed on the door and configured to prevent the cool air in the space and the ice bucket mounting hole from escaping outside of the space when the door is closed,

wherein when the seal is in contact with the front panel of the ice-making housing, the seal is disposed outward of the cool air outlet to seal between the space of the door and the ice-making compartment and the cool air flows through the cool air outlet from the ice-making compartment into the space of the door.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the seal is disposed between the space and the ice-making compartment.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a cool air inflow housing formed on the space; and

a seal coupling portion configured to couple the seal to the cool air inflow housing on the space recessed in the door.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the ice-making compartment includes:

an ice maker configured to produce ice; and

the ice bucket configured to store the ice produced in the ice maker.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the ice bucket mounting hole is formed to allow the ice bucket to be introduced or withdrawn.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the seal is aligned with an outer side of the ice bucket mounting hole when the door is closed.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein cool air flows through the cool air outlet into the space.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:

the door includes a refrigerating compartment door configured to open and close a refrigerating compartment in the storage compartment, and

the space is disposed in the refrigerating compartment door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the cool air of the ice-making compartment is moved to the space through the cool air outlet so that a temperature of the space is lower than the temperature of a refrigerating compartment.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the space further includes a cool air inflow housing.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the seal is disposed at the cool air inflow housing.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the ice-making compartment includes:

a first ice outlet formed in the ice-making housing; and

a second ice outlet formed in the ice bucket to align with the first ice outlet.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the seal is detachably mounted onto the cool air inflow housing.

14. A refrigerator, comprising:

a main body including a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;

a door configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment and including a space recessed in a rear side of the door;

an ice-making compartment including an ice-making housing disposed in the refrigerating compartment, an ice bucket mounting hole formed at a front panel of the ice-making housing to allow an ice bucket to be introduced or withdrawn therethrough, and a cool air outlet formed between an upper inner surface of the ice bucket mounting hole and an upper end of an ice bucket cover for the ice bucket mounted in the ice bucket mounting hole, the ice-making compartment disposed in the refrigerating compartment to align with the space of the door when the door is closed, wherein cool air flows through the cool air outlet from the ice-making compartment into the space of the door, wherein the space is recessed in the rear side of the door to align to the ice-making compartment;

the ice bucket configured to store ice produced in the ice-making compartment; and

a seal disposed between the space and the ice-making compartment and configured to seal the cool air in the space and the ice bucket mounting hole from escaping outside of the space when the door is closed,

wherein when the seal is in contact with the front panel of the ice-making housing, the seal is disposed outward of the cool air outlet to seal between the space of the door and the ice-making compartment and the cool air flows through the cool air outlet from the ice-making compartment into the space of the door.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the seal is aligned with an outer side of the cool air outlet when the door is closed.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the seal is disposed at an end of the space.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2017
From: HONG, CHANG UO; AN, JAE KOOG; YOOK, MIN SEOB; JUNG, MOON GYO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 044505/0675 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2016-0182069 · Dec 29, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180187942A1 · Jul 5, 2018