IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,674,747
Granted Patent B2
US 11,674,747 · App. 17/749,614 · Granted Jun 13, 2023

Refrigerator

Inventors: Juno Kwon (Suwon-si, KR); Jin Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Gahyeong Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Hocheol Cho (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
F25D23/126F25D11/02F25D23/028F25D23/04F25D29/005F25D2323/121F25D2323/122F25D2700/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,674,747
App. No.
17/749,614
Granted
Jun 13, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator including a main body having a storeroom, an inner door rotatably coupled to the main body and having a door opening, an outer door rotatably arranged in front of the inner door to open or close the door opening, a dispenser including a water-intake space and an operation lever and configured to supply water to the water-intake space by manipulation of the operation lever, and an automatic water supplier including a water container installation space formed to have a water container mounted and a water level sensor configured to detect a water level of the water container, and configured to supply water into the water container to fill the water container with a certain amount of water. The water-intake space and the water container installation space may be arranged in the door opening of the inner door to be accessed while the inner door is closed.

Claims (28)

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body including a storeroom;

a door including

an inner door rotatably arranged in front of the main body to open or close the storeroom, the inner door having door-inner sides which form a door opening, and

an outer door rotatably arranged in front of the inner door to open or close the door opening;

a water supply case coupled to a least one of the door-inner sides of the inner door, the water supply case having a water container installation space formed in the water supply case for a water container to be mounted in or dismounted from the water container installation space while the outer door is open and the inner door is closed; and

an automatic water supplier including an outlet and a water level sensor for detecting a water level in the water container, the automatic water supplier being configured to supply water through the outlet while the water container is mounted in the water container installation space, and

wherein the water supply case comprises a rear portion behind the water container installation space to cover at least a portion of the water container mounted in the water container installation space and a cut portion formed in the rear portion so that the water container mounted in the water container installation space is cooled by cold air of the storeroom.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door-inner sides comprise a top side, a bottom side, a left side of and a right side of the door opening.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the water container installation space has an open front side to allow the water container to be mounted in or dismounted from the water container installation space.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the water supply case comprises

a main case in which the water container installation space is formed; and

a rear case couplable to a rear side of the main case and having the cut portion formed in the rear case.

5. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the inner door comprises a door bead formed to protrude toward the door opening from at least one of the door-inner sides, and

the water supply case comprises a bead groove formed for the door bead to be insertable into the bead groove.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a door basket mountable in the door opening.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the water supply case and the door basket are spaced apart from each other along a vertical axis of the refrigerator and are accessible while the outer door is open.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the water supply case comprises

a case bead, and a door basket couplable to the case bead and including a door-storage space.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a control valve configured to supply the water to the automatic water supplier until a predetermined water level is detected in the water container by the water level sensor.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the water supply case comprises a valve installation space in which the control valve is mountable.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the inner door comprises

a front plate forming a front surface of the inner door;

a rear plate couplable to a rear side of the front plate;

an upper cap couplable to a top side of the front plate and a top side the rear plate;

a lower cap couplable to a bottom side of the front plate and a bottom side of the rear plate; and

insulation arranged in a foaming space formed by the front plate, the rear plate, the upper cap and the lower cap,

wherein the door opening is formed by at least one of the front plate or the rear plate.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0002864 · Jan 8, 2021 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17570960 · Jan 7, 2022
Continuation PCTKR2021019918 · Dec 27, 2021
Related Publication 20220275995A1 · Sep 1, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,529,510 US 12,553,662