An ice making system for a refrigerator includes a base member; an icemaker mounted to the base member for making ice pieces; a driving unit mounted to a rear surface of the base member such that a motor shaft thereof is in a horizontal state; an ice bank horizontally inserted into the base member i
An ice making system for a refrigerator includes a base member; an icemaker mounted to the base member for making ice pieces; a driving unit mounted to a rear surface of the base member such that a motor shaft thereof is in a horizontal state; an ice bank horizontally inserted into the base member in a detachable manner, for storing the ice pieces made by the icemaker; a detachable mounting unit for detachably mounting the ice bank to the base member; and an ice crusher assembly provided at the ice bank so as to be connected to or separated from the driving unit, for crushing the ice pieces. Since the ice bank has only to be horizontally pushed into the base member for coupling, or horizontally pulled out of the base member for separation, processes for coupling or separating the ice bank to/from the base member are facilitated.
대표청구항▼
1. An ice making system for a refrigerator, comprising: a base member;an icemaker mounted on the base member for making ice pieces;an ice bank detachably mounted on the base member and configured to store the ice pieces discharged from the icemaker; anda detachable mounting unit for coupling the ice
1. An ice making system for a refrigerator, comprising: a base member;an icemaker mounted on the base member for making ice pieces;an ice bank detachably mounted on the base member and configured to store the ice pieces discharged from the icemaker; anda detachable mounting unit for coupling the ice bank to the base member and separating the ice bank from the base member,wherein the base member comprises: a vertical base portion vertically mounted on an inner surface of a refrigerator door;a horizontal base portion horizontally extending from a lower portion of the vertical base portion;stepped surfaces formed at both sides of an upper surface of the horizontal base portion, wherein a guiding groove is formed between the stepped surfaces to guide insertion of the ice bank into the base member in a horizontal direction, and a second through hole is respectively formed at the stepped surfaces; andfirst protrusions vertically extending from at least one portion of the stepped surfaces, wherein a first through hole is respectively formed at an upper portion of the first protrusions,wherein the detachable mounting unit comprises: hooks protruding from both sides of the ice bank;guide portions mounted on the upper portion of the first protrusions to be inserted into the first through holes so as to move upward and downward therein, wherein the hooks are locked by end portions of the guide portions protruded out from the first through holes when the ice bank is coupled to the base member;button portions mounted on the stepped surfaces to be inserted into the second through holes so as to move upward and downward therein, wherein the button portions are depressed such that the hooks are set free from the guide portions when the ice bank is separated from the base member;pressing members configured to respectively connect the guide portions and the button portions so as to move upward and downward in a vertical direction; andelastic members mounted on a lower surface of the horizontal base portion, wherein the elastic members are inserted into insertion holes provided in the button portions such that the elastic members elastically support the button portions, the pressing member and the guide portions to be movable upward and downward together,wherein a lower portion of the ice bank keeps in contact with the stepped surfaces and the guiding groove when the ice bank is horizontally inserted into the base member when the ice bank is coupled to the base member, andwherein the lower portion of the ice bank keeps in contact with the stepped surfaces and the guiding groove when the ice bank is horizontally withdrawn from the base member when the ice bank is separated from the base member. 2. The ice making system for a refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the end portions of the guide portions are inclinedly formed to be pressed by the hooks inserted in a horizontal direction. 3. The ice making system for a refrigerator claim 1, wherein grooves are formed at both side surfaces of the guide portions, and guide protrusions are formed at the base member in order to guide the vertical movement of the guide portions. 4. The ice making system of claim 1, wherein cut portions are penetratingly formed at both edge portions on the rear surface of the ice bank. 5. An ice bank detachably mounted on a base member located at a refrigerator door, comprising: a front bucket including a front surface portion and side surface portions configured to form a part of a lower portion of a front surface and side surfaces of the ice bank, and an opening formed at an upper portion of the front surface portion and the side surface portions of the front bucket,a window tray including a curved plate portion configured to be located on the opening of the front bucket, an insert portion inserted through the opening into an inner surface of the front surface portion and the side surface portions of the front bucket in order to be coupled to the front bucket;a rear bucket including a curved portion configured to form a part of an upper portion of a rear surface and side surfaces of the ice bank, and a lower plate portion having a through hole and extending from a lower portion of the curved portion, and the rear bucket configured to form a storage space for storing ice together with the window tray and the front bucket;a blade cover coupled to the lower plate portion of the rear bucket, and configured to form an ice crushing space;a bucket cover coupled to the rear bucket and configured to cover the blade cover;a transfer unit disposed in the storage space for transferring ice from the storage space to the ice crushing space;a crushing unit disposed in the ice crushing space for selectively crushing ice; anda rotation shaft rotatably coupled to the ice bank,wherein the transfer unit and the crushing unit are mounted to the rotation shaft,wherein the lower plate portion of the rear bucket is disposed between the front bucket and the blade cover, the lower plate portion of the rear bucket being inserted into an inner surface of the side surface portions of the front bucket to be coupled to the front bucket, andwherein the blade cover includes: a rear plate portion with a through hole therein, and side portions extending from both edges of the rear plate portion toward the rear bucket; andwherein end portions of the side portions of the blade cover come in contact with a rear surface of the lower plate portion of the rear bucket. 6. The ice bank of claim 5, wherein the curved plate portion is formed of a semi-transparent material. 7. The ice bank of claim 5, wherein the through hole of the lower plate portion of the rear bucket comprises: a transfer hole configured to pass ice from the storage space to the ice crushing space, anda shaft supporting groove concavely formed to accommodate the rotation shaft and rotatably supporting the rotation shaft. 8. The ice bank of claim 7, wherein the transfer hole and the shaft supporting groove are connected each other so as to form a single hole. 9. The ice bank of claim 5, wherein the bucket cover comprises: a cover portion formed in a multi-step, the cover portion accommodating the blade cover therein and having a through hole; anda ring-shaped portion extending from the edge of the through hole of the cover portion. 10. The ice bank of claim 5, wherein the bucket cover is coupled to the rear bucket so as to form a part of the rear surface of the ice bank. 11. The ice bank of claim 10, wherein the rear surface of the ice bank has concave portions configured to form multi-steps. 12. The ice bank of claim 9, wherein a left side portion on a left side of a rear surface of the cover portion is concaved with two steps, and a right side portion on a right side of the rear surface of the cover portion is concaved with two steps. 13. The ice bank of claim 12, wherein the left side portion by one step has a depth shallower than that of the right side portion by one step. 14. The ice bank of claim 12, wherein the cover portion of the bucket cover includes stepped protrusions respectively formed at a lower end of the left and right side portions of the cover portion by one step, and a lower surface connecting the stepped protrusions. 15. The ice bank of claim 14, wherein the cover portion of the bucket cover includes a stepped protrusion relatively protruding from both side portions of the cover portion being respectively concaved by one step, wherein the stepped protrusion of the cover portion are configured to protrude the most among rear surfaces of the cover portion. 16. The ice bank of claim 12, wherein the base member comprises two protrusions formed at both sides thereof, and wherein the left and right side portions of the bucket cover respectively are placed on the two protrusions of the base member and are supported by the two protrusions. 17. The ice bank of claim 16, wherein the base member comprises a guide groove horizontally formed at a bottom surface thereof, wherein the stepped protrusions and the lower surface of the cover portion of the bucket cover are slidably inserted into the guide groove of the base member. 18. The ice bank of claim 16, wherein the base member comprises: a first base portion mounted on an inner surface of the refrigerator door; anda second base portion extending from the first base portion toward an inner portion of a refrigerator body,wherein a left protrusion of the two protrusions of the base member is located on a left side of a front surface of a connection portion which the first and second base portions meet each other, and a right protrusion of the two protrusions is located on a right side of the front surface of the connection portion,wherein an upper portion of the left protrusion of the two protrusions is formed to be stepped with one step in a height direction thereof,wherein a side portion and an upper portion of the right protrusion of the two protrusions are formed to be respectively stepped with one step in a lateral direction and the height direction thereof, andwherein the left side portion of the bucket cover is detachably coupled to the right protrusion, the right side portion of the bucket cover is detachably coupled to the left protrusion. 19. The ice bank of claim 5, further comprising: a driving unit mounted to the base member for rotating the rotation shaft, the driving unit including a motor,a first connection unit coupled to a motor shaft of the motor;a second connection unit coupled to an end of the rotation shaft, the second connection unit detachably coupled to the first connection unit,wherein the driving unit is mounted to the base member. 20. The ice bank of claim 5, wherein the lower plate portion of the rear bucket is disposed between the insert portion of the window tray and the blade cover. 21. The ice bank of claim 5, wherein the front bucket comprises a curved surface portion configured to form a bottom of the ice bank. 22. The ice bank of claim 7, wherein the front bucket has a cut portion cut in a part of a rear portion of the side surface portions thereof. 23. The ice bank of claim 7, wherein one of the side portions of the blade cover includes a mounting portion for mounting a mode conversion assembly. 24. The ice bank of claim 23, wherein the mode conversion assembly comprises: an actuator mounted to the base member;a ring-shaped portion connected to the actuator and moving upward and downward;a lever unit disposed in the ice crushing space, a part of the lever unit connected in the ring-shaped portion and moving upward and downward; anda blade guide connected to another part of the lever unit, the blade guide performing an angular motion to selectively block a part of the transfer hole,wherein, depending on whether the part of the transfer hole is blocked or not, the ice stored in the storage space are crushed or not.
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