IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0399137
(2009-03-06)
|
등록번호 |
US-8201715
(2012-06-19)
|
우선권정보 |
KR-10-2008-0032351 (2008-04-07); KR-10-2008-0032357 (2008-04-07) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Park, Joo-Won
- Joung, Il-Wook
- Kang, Byeong-Gyu
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
6 |
초록
▼
A refrigerator, in which a dispensing unit moves between a received position and a dispensing position and a driving unit is configured to move the dispensing unit from the received position to the dispensing position and is configured to move the dispensing unit from the dispensing position to the
A refrigerator, in which a dispensing unit moves between a received position and a dispensing position and a driving unit is configured to move the dispensing unit from the received position to the dispensing position and is configured to move the dispensing unit from the dispensing position to the received position. The refrigerator also includes a state return unit that is configured to detect a force applied to a cover unit when the dispensing unit is oriented in the dispensing position and that is configured to, in response to detecting the force applied to the cover unit, cause the driving unit to move the dispensing unit from the dispensing position to the received position.
대표청구항
▼
1. A refrigerator having a dispenser, comprising: a cooling compartment;a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the cooling compartment;a dispensing unit that is configured to move between a received position at which a dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit is positioned on a sid
1. A refrigerator having a dispenser, comprising: a cooling compartment;a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the cooling compartment;a dispensing unit that is configured to move between a received position at which a dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit is positioned on a side of a surface of the door where the cooling compartment is positioned and a dispensing position at which the dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit is positioned on a side of the surface of the door opposite of the cooling compartment;a dispenser receiving structure that defines, within the door, a receiving space in which the dispenser outlet is positioned when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position and that defines, in the surface of the door, an opening through which the dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit passes when the dispensing unit moves from the dispensing position to the received position;a cover unit that is attached to the dispensing unit and that is configured to cover a portion of the opening defined in the surface of the door by the dispenser receiving structure when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position;a driving unit that is configured to move the dispensing unit from the received position to the dispensing position and that is configured to move the dispensing unit from the dispensing position to the received position; anda state return unit that is configured to detect a force applied to the cover unit when the dispensing unit is oriented in the dispensing position and that is configured to, in response to detecting the force applied to the cover unit, cause the driving unit to move the dispensing unit from the dispensing position to the received position;wherein the dispensing unit comprises: a guide unit that is attached to a surface of the cover unit positioned closest to the cooling compartment, that defines the dispenser outlet, and that is configured to guide ice through the dispenser outlet when the dispensing unit is oriented in the dispensing position; anda dispensing button unit that is configured to move, in a plane perpendicular to the surface of the door, between a stored position at which the dispensing button unit is positioned on the side of the surface of the door where the cooling compartment is positioned and an extended position at which at least a portion of the dispensing button unit is positioned on the side of the surface of the door opposite of the cooling compartment, the dispensing button unit being configured to, in the extended position, control dispensing of content through the dispenser outlet in response to manipulation of the dispensing button unit, andwherein the dispensing button unit comprises: a button frame unit that is positioned below the dispensing unit when the refrigerator is oriented in a normal operating orientation and that is configured to move, in the plane perpendicular to the surface of the door, between the stored position at which the button frame unit is positioned on the side of the surface of the door where the cooling compartment is positioned and the extended position at which at least a portion of the button frame unit is positioned on the side of the surface of the door opposite of the cooling compartment; anda button unit that is elastically supported by the button frame unit and that is configured to, when the button frame unit is oriented in the extended position, move, in response to application of force to the button unit, toward the surface of the door from a first position to a second position that is closer to the surface of the door than the first position and move, in response to release of the force applied to the button unit, away from the surface of the door from the second position to the first position. 2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the state return unit comprises a return switch that is actuated by the force applied to the cover unit and that is configured to send a signal to the driving unit in response to being pressed by the force applied to the cover unit. 3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the return switch is pressed as the dispensing unit is moved to the received position by the force applied to the cover unit. 4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the state return unit is a return switch that is positioned within the dispenser receiving structure and pressed by a side of the guide unit when the dispensing unit moves from the dispensing position toward the received position. 5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the driving unit comprises: a driving gear configured to be driven by a motor;a first following gear engaged with the driving gear and configured to rotate the dispensing unit from the received position to the dispensing position in response to the driving gear being driven by the motor; anda second following gear engaged with the driving gear and configured to move the dispensing button unit from the stored position to the extended position in response to the driving gear being driven by the motor. 6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the first following gear has a circular arc shape with a central angle of less than 360 degrees being defined between radial axes extending from a rotation axis of the arc and endpoints of the first following gear periphery, a first end of the first following gear is connected at the rotation axis, a second end of the first following gear is connected with the dispensing unit, and the first following gear is configured to rotate about the rotation axis in response to the driving gear being driven by the motor. 7. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the second following gear comprises: a sliding unit that extends in a radial direction and comprises a sliding slot configured to receive a sliding protrusion positioned at a side of the dispensing button unit, the sliding unit being configured to move the dispensing button unit by applying force to the sliding protrusion when the sliding protrusion is received in the sliding slot. 8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cover unit is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation that is above the cover unit when the refrigerator is oriented in a normal operating orientation. 9. A refrigerator having a dispenser, comprising: a cooling compartment;a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the cooling compartment;a dispensing unit that is configured to move between a received position at which a dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit is positioned on a side of a surface of the door where the cooling compartment is positioned and a dispensing position at which the dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit is positioned on a side of the surface of the door opposite of the cooling compartment;a dispenser receiving structure that defines, within the door, a receiving space in which the dispenser outlet is positioned when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position and that defines, in the surface of the door, an opening through which the dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit passes when the dispensing unit moves from the dispensing position to the received position;a cover unit that is attached to the dispensing unit and that is configured to cover a portion of the opening defined in the surface of the door by the dispenser receiving structure when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position;a driving unit that is configured to move the dispensing unit from the received position to the dispensing position and that is configured to move the dispensing unit from the dispensing position to the received position; anda state return unit that is configured to detect a force applied to the cover unit when the dispensing unit is oriented in the dispensing position and that is configured to, in response to detecting the force applied to the cover unit, cause the driving unit to move the dispensing unit from the dispensing position to the received position,wherein the cover unit is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation that is above the cover unit when the refrigerator is oriented in a normal operating orientation, andwherein the state return unit comprises: a driving member attached to at least one of the cover unit and the guide unit and rotated with the cover unit and the guide unit when the cover unit and the guide unit move from the dispensing position toward the received position;a following member connected with the driving member and rotated by the driving member; anda return switch that is pressed in response to the rotation of the following member that occurs when the cover unit and the guide unit move from the dispensing position toward the received position. 10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the return switch is pressed by a pressing portion that extends from an outer circumferential surface of the following member. 11. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the driving member and the following member are gears engaged with each other. 12. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the following member and the return switch are received in a casing member provided at one side of the dispenser receiving unit, and a portion of the following member is exposed from the casing member to enable connection with the driving member. 13. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cover unit is positioned in a plane of the surface of the door when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position. 14. A refrigerator having a dispenser, comprising: a cooling compartment;a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the cooling compartment;a dispensing unit that is configured to move between a received position at which a dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit is positioned on a side of a surface of the door where the cooling compartment is positioned and a dispensing position at which the dispenser outlet of the dispensing unit is positioned on a side of the surface of the door opposite of the cooling compartment; a button frame unit that is positioned within a receiving space defined within the door when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position, that is covered by the dispensing unit when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position, and that is configured to move, in a plane perpendicular to the surface of the door, between a stored position at which the button frame unit is positioned on the side of the surface of the door where the cooling compartment is positioned and an extended position at which at least a portion of the button frame unit is positioned on the side of the surface of the door opposite of the cooling compartment;a button unit that is elastically supported by the button frame unit and that is configured to, when the button frame unit is oriented in the extended position, move, in response to application of force to the button unit, toward the surface of the door from a first position to a second position that is closer to the surface of the door than the first position and move, in response to release of the force applied to the button unit, away from the surface of the door from the second position to the first position, the button unit being configured to cause the dispensing unit to dispense content through the dispenser outlet when the button unit is moved to the second position; anda driving unit that is configured to guide movement of the button frame unit and that is configured to fix movement of the button frame unit when the button frame unit is oriented in the extended position,wherein the driving unit comprises: a driving unit frame in which a motor having a driving gear is positioned;a first following gear that is attached to the dispensing unit and that is configured rotate the dispensing unit from the received position to the dispensing position in response to rotation of the driving gear;a second following gear configured to move the button frame unit, in the plane perpendicular to the surface of the door, from the stored position to the extended position in response to rotation of the driving gear; anda lever fixing unit elastically supported by the driving unit frame and configured to fix movement of the second following gear, andwherein the second following gear comprises: a gear body part engaged with the driving gear and having a guide groove having a certain length in a circumferential direction, the certain length being less than a circumference of the gear body part; anda lever unit having a guide protrusion that is inserted in the guide groove and that is configured to be guided along the guide groove, the lever unit extending in a radial direction of the gear body part and connected with the button frame unit such that movement of the lever unit causes movement of the button frame unit. 15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the lever unit comprises a sliding slot in which a sliding protrusion positioned at a side of the button frame unit is inserted, the lever unit being configured to move the button frame unit by applying force to the sliding protrusion when the sliding protrusion is inserted in the sliding slot. 16. The refrigerator of claim 15 further comprising a pressing unit, wherein the lever fixing unit restricts movement of the lever unit based on a pressing state of the pressing unit, the pressing state of the pressing unit being based on rotation of the gear body part. 17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein, when the lever unit is at the extended position, the pressing unit releases a pressed state of the lever fixing unit and thereby fixes movement of the button frame unit. 18. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the lever fixing unit is positioned at a fixing recess located at a portion of a side of the lever unit to prevent the lever unit from moving from the extended position to the stored position. 19. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the diameter of the first following gear is smaller than the diameter of the second following gear. 20. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the first following gear has a circular arc shape with a central angle of less than 360 degrees being defined between radial axes extending from a rotation axis of the arc and endpoints of the first following gear periphery, a first end of the first following gear is connected at the rotation axis, a second end of the first following gear is connected with the dispensing unit, and the first following gear is configured to rotate about the rotation axis in response to the driving gear being driven by the motor. 21. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the state return unit comprises: a driving member attached to at least one of the cover unit and the guide unit and rotated with the cover unit and the guide unit when the cover unit and the guide unit move from the dispensing position toward the received position;a following member connected with the driving member and rotated by the driving member; anda return switch that is pressed in response to the rotation of the following member that occurs when the cover unit and the guide unit move from the dispensing position toward the received position. 22. The refrigerator of claim 21, wherein the return switch is pressed by a pressing portion that extends from an outer circumferential surface of the following member. 23. The refrigerator of claim 21, wherein the driving member and the following member are gears engaged with each other. 24. The refrigerator of claim 21, wherein the following member and the return switch are received in a casing member provided at one side of the dispenser receiving unit, and a portion of the following member is exposed from the casing member to enable connection with the driving member.
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