Patent ID: 8191378

Claim:
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 moves with the dispensing unit, the cover unit and the dispensing unit being coupled to enable a portion of the opening defined in the surface of the door by the dispenser receiving structure to be covered by the cover unit when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position, and to enable a gap to remain on the surface of the door between the cover unit and the dispenser receiving structure when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position; and a shielding unit configured to cover the gap remaining between the dispenser receiving structure and the cover unit when the dispensing unit is oriented in the received position.