Patent ID: 9267732
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: F25C,F25D

Claim Text:
1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet having a storage compartment; a door for opening or closing the storage compartment; a water tank provided in the door and configured to store water to supply to an ice maker and/or a dispenser; a tank connector to mount the water tank on a rear part of door; a water supply channel that extends to supply the water in the water tank to the ice maker and the dispenser; a pump disposed in the water supply channel to pump up the water in the water tank; a valve disposed in the water supply channel so that the water discharged from the pump can be selectively supplied to the ice maker or the dispenser; and an air exhaust unit disposed in a position of the water supply channel which connects an outlet of the pump and an inlet of the valve, the air exhaust unit including: an input portion connected to the water supply channel at the outlet of the pump; an output portion connected to the water supply channel at inlet of the valve; an air exhaust portion formed at a position between the input portion and the output portion for discharging air in the air exhaust unit and extending upwardly; and an opening/closing member formed in a ball shape and disposed in the air exhaust portion, wherein the air exhaust portion includes: a support portion formed at a bottom thereof to support the opening/closing member and having one or more air holes offset from the center of the support portion to discharge the air in the air exhaust unit; a space formed thereinside and having a diameter bigger than a diameter of the opening/closing member to movably accommodate the opening/closing member; and an air outlet formed at an end portion thereof and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the opening/closing member, wherein, when the air is contained in the air exhaust unit, the one or more air holes discharge the air into the air exhaust portion to keep the opening/closing member on the support portion without moving such that the air outlet becomes open, and wherein, when the air is not contained in the air exhaust unit, the one or more air holes discharge the water into the air exhaust portion to keep the opening/closing member lifted by the water flowing in the air exhaust portion to close the air outlet.