Patent Abstract:
A refrigerator equipped with a water tank that is easily accessible to a user and a method of using the same. A water dispenser is installed on the front side of a refrigerator. A water tank coupled to the water dispenser is detachably installed on a lower inner inside of a refrigerator door such that a user can conveniently observe the state of the water tank and access the water tank for maintenance and refill.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority and benefit from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0153709, filed on Nov. 6, 2014, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to refrigerators, and more specifically, to mechanisms of supplying drinking water from refrigerators. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus for preserving food and other items in a cool or a frozen state by circulating cold air that is generated via a cooling system. 
     Typically, a refrigerator has a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber disposed at the upper and lower sides of the refrigerator, respectively. Recently, refrigerators with two storage chambers disposed side-by-side are also available on the market. Such a side-by-side refrigerator is often equipped with a water dispenser coupled to a water purifier and used to supply drinking water (water or any beverage which is consumable or may be used to cook food) or ice. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a refrigerator  100  in the related art includes a main frame  110  having a machine chamber (not illustrated), a freezing chamber  120 , and a refrigerating chamber  130 . A freezing chamber door  122  and a refrigerating chamber door  132  are hingedly coupled to the main frame  110 . 
     A water supply valve (not illustrated) is provided in the machine chamber formed behind the main frame  110 . 
     A dispenser  124  for dispensing drinking water is disposed at the front side of the freezing chamber door  122 . A water tank  140  for storing drinking water supplied to the dispenser  124  is provided behind a refrigerator drawer  130 . The water supply pipe  153  is coupled to the water tank  140  via the water supply valve. The other end of the water tank  140  is coupled to a water drain pipe  155  and is used to supply drinking water to the dispenser  124 . 
     However, according to a refrigerator in the related art, the water tank is usually designed to be enclosed in a case disposed in the machine chamber. In this location, it is difficult for a user to locate and access the water tank for maintenance or replacement. Further, the structure of the water tank makes it difficult for a user to replace the water tank. Accordingly, a user cannot easily remove unwanted foreign substances accumulated on the water tank, such as substances produced by the dispenser or the ice maker. 
     LITERATURE OF RELATED ART 
     Patent Literature 
     Korean Patent No. 0630910 (LG Electronics Co., Ltd.) (Sep. 26, 2006). Patent Literature 1 relates to a structure for installing a water tank of a refrigerator, and discloses that the water tank is installed in a freezing chamber door in order to supply cool water at a low temperature. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing a refrigerator having a water tank that can be easily detached from the refrigerator for maintenance or replacement thereof. 
     According to an embodiment, a refrigerator includes: one or more refrigerating chambers and corresponding refrigerator doors; a dispenser unit which is provided in the refrigerator door and supplies drinking water; and a water tank which supplies water to the dispenser unit. The water tank is detachably mounted at a lower end inside the refrigerator door. 
     The refrigerator may further include: a water outflow line through which water is supplied to the dispenser unit; a first coupling member which has one end coupled to a water outflow groove formed in the water tank, and the other end coupled to the water outflow line; a water supply line through which water is supplied from a water supply source; and a second coupling member which has one end that has a water supply nozzle made of a flexible material and is coupled to a water supply groove formed in the water tank, and the other end coupled to the water supply line. 
     The refrigerator may further include a water tank fixing member which is coupled to the lower inner side the refrigerator door on which the water tank is installed. The water tank is fitted into and coupled to the water tank fixing member. 
     The inner circumferential surface of the water tank fixing member may be conformal to the outer circumferential surface of the water tank. 
     The refrigerator may further include a water tank door coupled to the refrigerator door and operable to cover the water tank. The water tank door may be made of a transparent material such that the water tank is visible through the water cover. 
     The water tank may be made of a transparent material such that the interior of the water tank is visible to users. The water tank is installed at a lower end of an accommodating drawer  304  mounted on the inner side of the refrigerator door. 
     The refrigerator may further include a water drain bolt is coupled to a water drain groove that is formed at one end of the water tank. 
     The refrigerator may further include a sterilizing unit installed at a lower inner side of the refrigerator door and proximate to the water tank. The sterilizing unit has an ultraviolet ray lamp for irradiating the tank. 
     Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of replacing a water tank for a refrigerator, including: separating a water tank installed at a lower inner side of a refrigerator door from a water tank fixing member; detaching the water tank by pulling the water tank in a direction toward a water drain bolt coupled to the water tank; cleaning the water tank; inserting a water supply nozzle into the cleaned water tank; coupling the cleaned water tank to the first and second coupling members by inserting the cleaned water tank in a direction toward the first and second coupling members; and fitting and coupling the cleaned water tank into the water tank fixing member. 
     According to the refrigerator and the method of replacing the water tank for a refrigerator according to the present disclosure, the water tank may be detachably coupled to the inner side of the refrigerator door, thereby allowing the user to easily access the water tank for maintenance and replacement thereof. 
     Since the water tank is installed on the lower inner side of the refrigerator door, which is a region that is not freqeuently used by the user, the water tank advantageoulsy does not interfere with users&#39; regular use of the refrigerator. 
     The water tank door, for covering the water tank, may be transparent, so a user may easily identify the condition and state of the water tank when viewing through the tank door. Accordingly, the user can determine whether foreign substances are present in the water tank and call for maintenance. The water tank may be made of a transparent material, thereby allowing the user to easily visualize the contamination level of water stored in the water tank. 
     A sterilizing unit is installed on the inner surface of the refrigerator door and proximate to the water tank. The sterilize unit includes a can sterilizes water by irradiating the water tank with ultraviolet rays. 
     The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a refrigerator in the related art. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary refrigerator door installed with a water tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the configuration of an exemplary water tank viewed through a closed water tank door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates the configuration of the exemplary water tank while the water tank door is open according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  illustrates the configuration of an exemplary refrigerator door with the water tank removed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary water flow path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary water tank unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method of water tank replacement for a refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The refrigerator  200  includes a main frame  210  which has a machine chamber (not explicitly illustrated), a refrigerating chamber (not explicitly illustrated), a freezing chamber (not explicitly illustrated), and a plurality of refrigerator doors  220 ,  230 ,  240 , and  250  coupled to the main frame  210 . 
     A dispenser unit  260  for supplying drinking water (and/or other beverages) is provided on the front side of the first refrigerator door  220 . An ice maker  261  as shown in  FIG. 8  for making and supplying ice may also be coupled to the dispenser unit  260 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example in which the refrigerator  200  according to the present disclosure has four refrigerator doors, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, two refrigerator doors may be provided on the upper and lower sides or on the left and right sides of the refrigerator, respectively. A dispenser unit according to the present disclosure may be disposed in anyone of the refrigerator doors. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary refrigerator door installed with a water tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The water tank unit  270  is installed on a lower inner side of the first refrigerator door  220 , while the dispenser unit  260  is installed on the outer side of door  220 . The water tank unit  270  stores water supplied from a water supply source (not illustrated), and supplies water to the dispenser unit  260 . Here, water supplied from the water supply source may be supplied to the water tank unit  270  after being purified by a filter unit  211 . Since the water tank is disposed on the inner side of the refrigerator door, it is easily visible to a user. 
     The water tank unit  270  may be installed on or in a storage compartment installed on the first refrigerator door  220 . As described above, the water tank is installed below the lowest drawer of the refrigerator door  220 . This is a region that is not frequently used by a user, thereby allowing the user to easily locate the water tank without causing any inconvenience in the refrigerator use. 
     An exemplary water tank unit according to the present disclosure is described in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 7 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the configuration of an exemplary water tank viewed through a closed water tank door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 5  illustrates the configuration of the exemplary water tank viewed while the water tank door is open.  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 5 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 6 , the water tank unit  270  installed on the inner side of the first refrigerator door  220  may include a water tank door  271 , a door coupling member  271 , a water tank  273 , a water drain bolt  274 , water tank fixing members  275 , screws  276 , a first coupling member  277 , and a second coupling member  278 . 
     The water tank door  271  is installed on the inner side of the first refrigerator door  220 , and operable to cover the water tank  273  that supplies water to the dispenser unit  260 . The water tank door  271  is coupled to the inner side of the first refrigerator door  220  by the door coupling member  272 . 
     The water tank door  271  can be made of a transparent material such that the water tank  273  is visible to users through the tank door  271 . By viewing through the tank door  271 , a user may easily identify the state and condition of the water tank and accordingly decide whether maintenance is needed for the tank. For example, maintenance may be needed to remove foreign substances that are produced by the dispenser and accumulate in the water tank over time. The water tank  273  may also be made of a transparent material such that the interior of the water tank  273  is visible to users. This helps a user to determine the condition of the water in the water tank  273 , e.g., the contamination level thereof. 
     The water tank  273  may be fitted into and coupled to the water tank fixing members  275 . The water tank fixing members  275  are fixedly coupled to the inner side of the first refrigerator door  220  and used to fix the water tank  273  onto the first refrigerator door  220 . Here, the water tank fixing members  275  are fixed to the inner surface of the first refrigerator door  220  by the screws  276 . 
     The inner circumferential surface of the water tank fixing member  275  may be conformal to an outer circumferential surface of the water tank  273 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the outer circumferential surface of the water tank  273  has a cylinder shape. Thus, the inner circumferential surface of the water tank fixing member  275  defines a “C”-shaped space so that the water tank  273  can be fitted into and coupled to the water tank fixing member  275 . However, it will be appreciated that the water tank and the water tank fixing members may be formed in various other shapes in other embodiments. 
     The water tank unit  270  has first coupling member  277  and second coupling member  278 , and may be coupled to a water supply line through which water is supplied to the water tank  273  and a water outflow line through which water is supplied to the dispenser unit  260 . That is, the water tank  273  has a water supply groove  302  and a water outflow groove  303  formed at the ends. One end of the first coupling member  277  may be coupled to the water outflow groove  303  of the water tank  273 , and the other end of the first coupling member  277  may be coupled to the water outflow line  282  through which water is supplied to the dispenser unit  260 . One end of the second coupling member  278  may be coupled to the water supply groove  302  of the water tank  273 , and the other end of the second coupling member  278  may be coupled to the first water supply line  281  through which water is supplied from the water supply source. The second coupling member  278  is coupled to a flexible water supply nozzle  279  made of any suitable flexible material. 
     A water drain groove  301  is formed at the other end of the water tank  273 , and the water drain bolt  274  may be coupled to the water drain groove  301 . The user may easily drain water remaining in the water tank  273  to the outside by removing the water drain bolt  274  that is coupled to the water drain groove  301  of the water tank  273  as described above. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the configuration of an exemplary refrigerator door with the water tank removed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 7  shows the coupling mechanisms associated with the water tank. 
     The water tank  273  is detachably installed on the inner side of the first refrigerator door  220 , and the water tank  273  may be detached as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . That is, the user may detach the water tank  273  by separating the water tank  273  from the water tank fixing member  275 , and then pulling the water tank  273  from the first and second coupling members  277  and  278  toward the water drain bolt  274  coupled to the water tank  273 . 
     In this case, since the water supply nozzle  279  is made of a flexible material, the user may easily detach the water tank. By the same token, a user can install the water tank  273  back to the refrigerator door  220  by reversely performing the operation of detaching the water tank  273  as described above. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary water flow path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the water supply source supplies water to the filter unit  211  through a fourth water supply line  287 . Then, the filter unit  211  purifies water supplied from the water supply source through the fourth water supply line  287 . The purified water is supplied to a second valve  284  through a third water supply line  286 . The second valve  284  supplies water to the ice maker  261  through a second water supply line  285  and supplies water to the water tank  273  through the first water supply line  281 . The ice maker  261  makes ice using water and provides the user with the ice. The water tank  273  stores water supplied from the second valve  284  through the first water supply line  281  and supplies the stored water to the dispenser unit  260  through the water outflow line  282 . A first valve  283  may be provided on the first water supply line  281  through which water is supplied to the water tank  273 . The first valve  283  is operable to shut off the water supply. More specifically, the first valve  283  can be a ball valve and can be used by a user to shut off water supply to the water tank  273 . Then, the dispenser unit  260  provides the user with drinking water supplied from the water tank  273  through the water outflow line  282 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary water tank unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The water tank unit as shown in  FIG. 9  is substantially the same as the water tank unit as shown in  FIG. 5  except for the addition of a sterilizing unit. 
     The refrigerator  220  in  FIG. 9  includes a sterilizing unit  221  installed on the inner side of the first refrigerator door  220  which has the water tank  273  installed. 
     The sterilizing unit  221  has an ultraviolet ray lamp and can irradiate the water tank  273  with ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet rays can sterilize water stored in the water tank. 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method of replacing a water tank for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the water tank  273  installed at the lower inner side of the refrigerator door  220  is separated from the water tank fixing member  275  (S 110 ) by a user. The water tank  273  is detached after a user pulls the water tank  273  in a direction toward the water drain bolt  274  coupled to the water tank  273  (S 120 ). The user can then detached water tank  273  and clean it or replace it (S 130 ). 
     The water supply nozzle  279  is then inserted into the cleaned water tank  273  (S 140 ). A user can push the cleaned water tank  273  onto the first and second coupling members  277  and  278  (S 150 ). Thereby, the cleaned water tank  273  is coupled to the water tank fixing member  275  (S 160 ). 
     Reference is made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the disclosure will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments. 
     On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings showing embodiments of the disclosure are semi-diagrammatic and not to scale and, particularly, some of the dimensions are for the clarity of presentation and are shown exaggerated in the drawing Figures. Similarly, although the views in the drawings for the ease of description generally show similar orientations, this depiction in the Figures is arbitrary for the most part. Generally, the disclosure can be operated in any orientation. 
     It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present disclosure, discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “accessing” or “executing” or “storing” or “rendering” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system&#39;s registers and memories and other computer readable media into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or client devices. When a component appears in several embodiments, the use of the same reference numeral signifies that the component is the same component as illustrated in the original embodiment. 
     Although certain preferred embodiments and methods have been disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is intended that the disclosure shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5