Refrigerator with liquid dispensing function

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of storing a container which contains liquid in a refrigerated state and pouring the liquid from the container and also capable of reducing an installation burden.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises a general-purpose cooling chamber 2 that can accommodate food materials and various types of articles, and a pouring device 11A connected to a supply source container 100 accommodated in the general-purpose cooling chamber 2 and pouring liquid in the supply source container 100. The pouring device 11A has a pouring outlet part serving as an outlet for the liquid. The pouring outlet part is attached to a door 7 for opening and closing the cooling chamber 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator that stores containers containing beverages or other liquids in a refrigerated state and has the function of pouring the liquid from the containers. [Background technology]

[0002] A beverage server is known in which a beverage barrel containing beer and a tap connected to the beverage barrel are installed inside a housing with a refrigeration function (see Patent Document 1).In a draft beer dispensing machine in which a beer barrel is stored inside a refrigerated compartment and a tap connected to the beer barrel is installed on the outer surface of the refrigerated compartment body or door, a draft beer dispensing machine with a refrigerator is also known in which a storage section for bottled beverages or other items to be cooled is formed adjacent to the storage section for the beer barrel, and both storage sections can be cooled by a common cooling mechanism and each storage section can be opened and closed independently by a door (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6097440 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-91596 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned conventional devices are configured as dedicated machines for refrigerating and storing beer kegs. The draft beer pouring machine of Patent Document 2 has a storage section for the object to be cooled separate from a dedicated storage section for storing beer kegs, and is merely a dedicated machine for beer kegs with a general-purpose storage section added, so it is still a dedicated machine for beer kegs. Installing such a dedicated machine requires dedicated installation space, so it is not expected to be installed in ordinary homes.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can store a container containing a liquid in a refrigerator while pouring the liquid from the container, and that can reduce the burden of installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a general-purpose cooling compartment capable of storing foodstuffs and various other items, and a dispensing device connected to a supply container stored in the general-purpose cooling compartment and dispensing liquid from the supply container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with the door open. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example in which a tap is provided on the inner surface of a door. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example in which the tap is detachable. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example in which a pouring device is installed in a part of one cooling section. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example in which a pouring device is installed so as to replace the tray of one cooling section. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a tray is attached instead of the dispensing device of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a beer tube is partially embedded in the wall of a refrigerator, as viewed from above inside the refrigerator. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example in which a nozzle is provided instead of a tap. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example in which a nozzle is provided instead of a tap. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which cold air from a cooling chamber is introduced into a dispensing chamber. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of cooling the pouring chamber by generating heat conduction between the cooling chamber and the pouring chamber. [Figure 13]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the tap is cooled by a Peltier element. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of cooling by attaching a heat exchange member to the exposed portion of the tap in the cooling chamber. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a heat transfer member is provided between the tap and the ice making compartment and the freezer compartment to cool the tap. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of cooling a tap using ice produced by an ice maker. [Figure 17] A diagram showing an example of wrapping a refrigerator's refrigerant pipe around a tap to cool the tap. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of cooling a tap by wrapping a refrigerant pipe of a refrigerator around the tap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] 1 and 2 show a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated refrigerator 1 is configured as a household electric refrigerator. A household refrigerator can be considered as an electric refrigerator whose performance and quality are determined in accordance with the C9801 series of the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). The maximum capacity of a household refrigerator is about 600-700 liters.

[0009] The refrigerator 1 is a compressor-type refrigerator that uses a compressor to form a refrigeration cycle to lower the temperature of the cooling compartment 2. However, the refrigerator 1 may also be configured to lower the temperature of the cooling compartment 2 using various heat exchangers, such as thermoelectric conversion elements like Peltier elements. The cooling compartment 2 is a general-purpose cooling compartment capable of storing various items, including foodstuffs. The cooling compartment 2 is divided into multiple cooling compartments. In the illustrated example, the cooling compartment 2 is vertically divided into three cooling compartments 4, 5, and 6. The cooling compartments 4, 5, and 6 can be opened and closed independently. The upper cooling compartment 4 can be opened and closed using a door 7. The door 7 may be left- or right-opening. Two doors, each with a double door, may also be provided. The cooling compartment 4 can be further divided into multiple small compartments 4b by attaching shelves 4a. The middle cooling compartment 5 and the lower cooling compartment 6 are each fitted with trays 8 and 9, respectively, filling the cooling compartments 5 and 6. The trays 8 and 9 can be pulled out forward.

[0010] The temperatures of the cooling compartments 4, 5, and 6 are set according to the intended use. For example, the temperature of the upper cooling compartment 4 is set to approximately 2°C to 5°C for use as a general-purpose refrigerator compartment for storing foodstuffs and other items that require refrigeration. The temperature of the middle cooling compartment 5 is set to approximately -20°C to -18°C for use as a general-purpose freezer compartment for storing items that require freezing. The temperature of the lower cooling compartment 6 is set to approximately 3°C to 8°C for use as a general-purpose vegetable compartment for storing vegetables. However, the temperatures of the cooling compartments 5 and 6 may be set so that the middle cooling compartment 5 is used as a vegetable compartment and the lower cooling compartment 6 is used as a freezer compartment. A lower-temperature partial compartment or a chilled compartment may be further provided within the upper cooling compartment 4. An ice-making compartment may also be provided as a cooling compartment.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2 , a beer keg 100 containing beer is housed in the upper cooling section 4 as an example of a source container for containing the liquid to be dispensed. The beer keg 100 is made of metal, for example, and has a capacity of 7 L. The beer keg 100 may be, for example, a returnable commercial beer keg exchanged between a source, such as a beer manufacturer, distributor, or liquor store, and a destination, such as a restaurant. Using returnable beer keg as a source container for beer can reduce resources used in container manufacturing and the amount of waste from empty containers compared to using one-way containers intended for home consumption, such as aluminum cans or plastic bottles made of PET resin. Aluminum cans emit a relatively large amount of CO2 per unit volume during their production. Therefore, using returnable beer keg as a source container can contribute to reducing CO2 emissions.

[0012] The refrigerator 1 is further provided with a dispensing device for dispensing beer beverages from the beer barrels 100 housed in the upper cooling compartment 4 to the outside of the cooling compartment 2 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "outside the cooling compartment"). There are several examples of the configuration of the dispensing device, and various examples will be explained below in order.

[0013] 1. Overall structure First, an example of the overall configuration of the dispensing device will be described. [First example] 1 and 2 show a dispensing device 11A according to a first example. The dispensing device 11A includes a dispense head 12 connected to a beer barrel 100, a tap 13 for switching between dispensing and stopping beer dispensing, a gas tube 14 as an example of a gas flow path forming member connecting the dispense head 12 to a gas cylinder 101 as a source of dispensing gas, such as carbon dioxide gas, and a beer tube 15 as an example of a liquid flow path forming member connecting the dispense head 12 to the tap 13. The dispense head 12 is connected to a spear valve attached to the opening of the beer barrel 100 to open the gas flow path and beverage flow path of the spear valve. This type of dispense head is used in known beer dispensers, and details thereof are omitted. However, it is desirable that the dispense head 12 be as small as possible to reduce the space required for storing the beer barrel 100. As an example, the gas cylinder 101 is installed in one of the trays 16 for each small compartment 4b provided on the inner surface of the door 7. The number of stages of the tray 16, i.e., the number of small compartments 4b, may be changed as appropriate. The installation location of the gas cylinder 101 may be changed as appropriate as long as it can be connected to the gas tube 14.

[0014] The tap 13 functions as an example of a pouring outlet portion that serves as an outlet for the beer beverage. By operating the lever 13a, the tap 13 can be selectively switched among a pouring position where the beer beverage is poured, a stop position where the pouring is stopped, and a foaming position where the beer beverage is foamed and poured. This type of tap is also well known, and detailed explanation of the internal configuration will be omitted.

[0015] The tap 13 is attached to the door 7 that opens and closes the cooling section 4. As an example, a pouring chamber 17 is provided on the outer surface of the door 7, and the tap 13 is attached within the pouring chamber 17. The pouring chamber 17 is recessed and recessed toward the interior of the cabinet. The size of the pouring chamber 17 is set to allow a mug 102 for drinking beer to be inserted from outside the cabinet. The mug 102 is an example of a receiving container that receives beer poured from the spout. A connection portion 13b of the tap 13 for a beer tube 15 passes through the door 7 and is exposed on the back side thereof. The beer tube 15 is connected to the connection portion 13b. Various joint parts, such as a one-touch joint, may be used to connect the beer tube 15. A convex portion for forming the pouring chamber 17 may be provided on the inner surface of the door 7 at a position corresponding to the pouring chamber 17. As shown by phantom lines in Figure 1, pouring chamber 17 may be provided with a small door 18 for opening and closing pouring chamber 17 to the outside of the refrigerator. Providing small door 18 can prevent dust from entering pouring chamber 17 when pouring device 11A is not in use. Adding thermal insulation properties to small door 18 can reduce heat exchange between the inside and outside of refrigerator 1 through pouring chamber 17.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the cooling section 4, which is part of the general-purpose cooling chamber 2, can be used as a space for refrigerating the beer barrels 100, and the beer contained in the beer barrels 100 can be dispensed by operating the lever 13a of the tap 13. By incorporating the dispensing device 11A into the home refrigerator 1, there is no need to install a separate refrigerator configured as a dedicated machine for refrigerating the beer barrels 100 and dispensing the beer. This reduces the burden of installation. For example, there is no need to secure dedicated installation space even in an ordinary home. It can be easily installed even in restaurants with limited space.

[0017] [Second example] FIG. 3 shows a dispensing device 11B according to a second example. The dispensing device 11B differs from the dispensing device 11A according to the first example in that the tap 13 is provided on the inner side of the door 7. Therefore, in order to dispense a beer beverage, it is necessary to open the door 7 and operate the tap 13. On the other hand, since the tap 13 is disposed within the cooling section 4, the tap 13 can be kept at a low temperature by the cold air of the cooling section 4. This is therefore advantageous in terms of suppressing the growth of microorganisms within the tap 13. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the dispensing device 11B is similar to the dispensing device 11A of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that a beer barrel 100 and a gas cylinder 101 are installed in the cooling section 4, and the dispense head 12 attached to the beer barrel 100 is connected to the gas cylinder 101 and the tap 13 by a gas tube 14 and a beer tube 15, respectively.

[0018] [Third example] FIG. 4 shows a dispensing device 11C according to a third example. The dispensing device 11C is similar to the dispensing device 11A according to the first example in that the tap 13 is attached to the outer surface of the door 7. However, the tap 13 is detachable from the door 7. When the tap 13 is removed as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4, the attachment point of the tap 13 on the door 7 may be closed with an appropriate plug. Making the tap 13 detachable has the advantage that the tap 13 does not get in the way when the dispensing device 11C is not in use. Although not shown in FIG. 4, in the dispensing device 11C, a beer barrel 100 and a gas cylinder 101 are installed in the cooling section 4, and the dispense head 12 attached to the beer barrel 100 is connected to the gas cylinder 101 and the tap 13 by a gas tube 14 and a beer tube 15, respectively, similar to the dispensing device 11A of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0019] [Example 4] FIG. 5 shows a pouring device 11D according to a fourth example. The pouring device 11D is configured as a pouring unit that can be attached to and detached from the cooling section 4 of the cooling chamber 2. The pouring device 11D has a casing 20, to which a tap 13 is attached. The casing 20 can be housed in the cooling section 4 so as to occupy a portion of the cooling section 4. The area of ​​the cooling section 4 excluding the pouring device 11D can be used as a general-purpose cooling chamber for storing items such as food ingredients. The casing 20 may be installed at any appropriate position within the cooling section 4.

[0020] Although not shown in the figures, a beer barrel 100 and a gas cylinder 101 may be housed inside the casing 20. Furthermore, the gas tube 14 and the beer tube 15 that connect the dispense head 12 of the beer barrel 100 to the gas cylinder 101 and the tap 13 may also be housed in the casing 20. However, the beer barrel 100 and the gas cylinder 101 may be installed in a range outside the casing 20 of the cooling section 4. In that case, the beer tube 15 may be pulled out from the casing 20 and connected to the dispense head 12. In any case, according to the dispensing device 11D, it is possible to install the dispensing device 11D in the cooling compartment 2 without making any modifications to the refrigerator 1 itself.

[0021] [Fifth Example] FIG. 6 shows a dispensing device 11E according to a fifth example. Dispensing device 11E is similar to dispensing device 11D of FIG. 5 in that it is configured as a dispensing unit that is detachably attached to one of the cooling compartments of cooling chamber 2 by having tap 13 attached to casing 20. However, dispensing device 11E differs from dispensing device 11E of FIG. 5 in that it is attached to the interior of the refrigerator so as to fill one of the cooling compartments. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, two cooling compartments 5L and 5R are provided on the left and right sides of the middle shelf of refrigerator 1. Trays 21 and 22 are attached to each of cooling compartments 5L and 5R so as to fill the cooling compartments 5L and 5R. Trays 21 and 22 can be pulled out forward independently of each other. Therefore, cooling compartments 5L and 5R can be opened and closed independently of each other.

[0022] The trays 21 and 22 are removable from the cooling compartments 5L and 5R. As shown in Figure 6, the pouring device 11E can be attached to the cooling compartment 5R by replacing one of the trays, for example, the right tray 22. That is, the casing 20 of the pouring device 11E is formed in a shape and size compatible with the tray 22 and is provided to fit into the cooling compartment 5R in place of the tray 22. The tap 13 is attached to the outer surface and front of the casing 20. Therefore, when attached to the cooling compartment 5R, the tap 13 is exposed outside the cooling chamber.

[0023] The casing 20 accommodates a beer barrel 100 and a gas cylinder 101. The casing 20 also accommodates a gas tube 14 and a beer tube 15 that connect the dispense head 12 of the beer barrel 100 to the gas cylinder 101 and the tap 13. Therefore, by fitting the casing 20 of the dispensing device 11E into the cooling compartment 5R, the dispensing device 11E, the beer barrel 100, and the gas cylinder 101 can be installed integrally in the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, the tap 13 can be operated to dispense beer while the casing 20 is housed in the cooling compartment 5R. Even in this example, the dispensing device 11E can be installed in the cooling compartment 2 without any modification to the refrigerator 1 itself. The dispensing device 11E can be provided as an optional item compatible with the tray 22, thereby increasing the range of related parts for the refrigerator 1. This enhances the marketability of the refrigerator 1.

[0024] 2. Modifications of the dispensing device Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, several modifications of the overall configuration described above will be described. In the above embodiment, the entire length of the beer tube 15 connecting the dispense head 12 and the tap 13 is exposed in the cooling compartment 4. However, as illustrated in FIG. 8, at least a portion of the beer tube 15 may be embedded in the wall of the refrigerator 1. In this case, the length of the beer tube 15 exposed in the cooling compartment 4 is shortened, and the beer tube 15 is less likely to become tangled. The embedded portion in the wall may be formed of a piping member such as a stainless steel pipe instead of the beer tube 15. In either case, it is sufficient that the liquid flow path forming member is provided, including the embedded portion in the refrigerator. Even when the entire length or a portion of the beer tube 15 is exposed in the cooling compartment 4, the exposed portion may be made retractable by a reel or the like to prevent tangling of the beer tube 15. Similarly, the gas tube 14 may be partially embedded in the wall of the refrigerator 1, or the embedded portion may be formed of a piping member to provide a gas flow path forming member.

[0025] FIG. 9 shows a modified example of the spout portion. In this example, a nozzle 25 is provided in the spout chamber 17 instead of the tap 13 described above. The nozzle 25 may be configured as, for example, a metal or resin pipe, or a flexible hose or tube. An electromagnetic on-off valve 26 is provided between the dispense head 12 and the nozzle 25 to switch between dispensing and stopping the spout from the nozzle 25. The opening and closing operation of the electromagnetic on-off valve 26 is switched by operating a push button switch 27 provided on the outer surface of the door 7, for example. FIG. 10 shows an example in which a manual on-off valve 28 is provided instead of the electromagnetic on-off valve 26, and the on-off valve 28 is opened and closed by operating an operating member such as a handle 29 provided on the outer surface of the door 7. The examples of FIGS. 9 and 10 have the advantage that the exposure area of ​​the spout portion to the outside of the cooling chamber can be relatively small compared to when the tap 13 is provided.

[0026] 3. Cooling of the outlet 1 and 6, tap 13 serving as a pouring outlet is exposed to the outside of cooling chamber 2. In this case, a structure that allows tap 13 to be cooled may be employed to suppress the growth of microorganisms inside tap 13. An example of the cooling structure will be described below.

[0027] 11 and 12 show examples of cooling structures when the pouring chamber 17 of FIG. 1 is provided. FIG. 11 shows an example in which a cold air inlet 17b is provided in the wall 17a of the pouring chamber 17 on the cooling compartment 4 side, and cold air from the cooling compartment 4 is introduced into the pouring chamber 17 as indicated by the arrows in the figure to cool the tap 13. In this case, the pouring chamber 17 must be closable with a small door 18 to prevent cold air from leaking from the pouring chamber 17. Multiple cold air inlet 17b may be provided. FIG. 12 shows an example in which the wall 17a of the pouring chamber 17 is made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, to cause heat exchange between the cooling compartment 4 and the pouring chamber 17 as indicated by the arrows in the figure to cool the tap 13. In this example, the pouring chamber 17 must also be closable with a small door 18. The examples of FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 can be combined. That is, wall portion 17a of pouring chamber 17 may be made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity, and wall portion 17a may further be provided with cold air introduction holes 17b.

[0028] Fig. 13 shows an example in which a Peltier element 30 serving as a semiconductor thermoelectric element is attached to the surface of the tap 13 to cool the tap 13. Fig. 14 shows an example in which a heat exchange member 31 is attached to the connection portion 13b, which is the portion of the tap 13 exposed to the cooling compartment, and the heat exchange member 31 is cooled using the cold air in the cooling compartment, and further, the portion of the tap 13 exposed to the outside of the cooling chamber is cooled by causing thermal conduction between the heat exchange member 31 and the tap 13. The cooling compartment in which the heat exchange member 31 is placed is cooling compartment 4 in the example of Fig. 1, and is cooling compartment 5R in the example of Fig. 6.

[0029] 15 shows an example in which tap 13 is cooled using the cold air from ice-making compartment 32 and freezer compartment 33 of refrigerator 1. For example, heat transfer members 34, 35 are attached to the portion of tap 13 exposed to cooling compartment 2, and tip 34a of heat transfer member 34 is positioned in ice-making compartment 32, and tip 35a of heat transfer member 35 is positioned in freezer compartment 33. By doing so, heat is transferred from ice-making compartment 32 and freezer compartment 33 to connection portion 13b of tap 13 via heat transfer members 34, 35, thereby cooling the portion of tap 13 exposed to the outside of the cooling compartment.

[0030] Figure 16 shows an example in which at least a portion of the ice 37 produced by the ice maker 36 installed in the refrigerator 1 is guided to the exposed portion of the tap 13 in the cooling compartment, so that the exposed portion of the tap 13 inside the refrigerator is directly cooled by the ice 37, and the exposed portion of the tap 13 outside the cooling compartment is cooled using the thermal conduction of the tap 13.

[0031] Fig. 17 shows an example in which refrigerant piping 38 is wrapped around the exposed portion of tap 13 in the cooling compartment, and the refrigerant whose temperature has been reduced through adiabatic expansion in the refrigeration cycle of refrigerator 1 is guided to refrigerant piping 38 to cool connection portion 13b of tap 13, and the exposed portion of tap 13 outside the cooling compartment is cooled by utilizing thermal conduction of tap 13. Fig. 18 shows an example in which refrigerant piping 38 is wrapped around the exposed portion outside the cooling compartment, and the entire tap 13 is cooled by the refrigerant whose temperature has been reduced. A cover 39 is provided around the exposed portion of tap 13 outside the cooling compartment. By providing cover 39, it is possible to prevent condensation on tap 13, for example, and to provide thermal insulation around tap 13.

[0032] As described above, when at least a portion of the spout, such as the tap 13, is exposed to the outside of the cooling compartment, it is possible to suppress the growth of microorganisms at the spout by cooling the spout using the cooling function, ice-making function, etc. of the refrigerator 1, or by adding a cooling means such as a Peltier element to the spout. The cooling structure described above is not limited to the case where the tap 13 is provided as the spout, but may also be applied to the case where a nozzle 25 is provided as shown in Figures 9 and 10. Even in this case, it is possible to suppress the growth of microorganisms in the beer beverage remaining on the nozzle 25.

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the various embodiments described above, and may be embodied in embodiments with appropriate modifications or changes. For example, in the above embodiments, a beer barrel 100 is exemplified as the supply container, and a beer beverage is exemplified as the liquid in the supply container, but the supply container may be configured as a container that contains various beverages other than beer. The liquid contained in the supply container is not limited to beverages. Various liquids that need to be stored in a refrigerated state may be the subject of the present invention.

[0034] The refrigerator is not limited to an example in which the cooling compartment is divided into multiple cooling compartments such as a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, a vegetable compartment, and an ice maker compartment. The present invention is also applicable to a refrigerator having only a single refrigerator compartment. When the cooling compartment is divided into multiple cooling compartments, the dispensing device and the supply source container do not necessarily have to be arranged in the same cooling compartment. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the supply source container and the dispensing device may be arranged in different cooling compartments by embedding part of the liquid flow path forming member in the wall of the refrigerator 1.

[0035] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the beer beverage in the beer barrel 100 is pushed out of the beer barrel 100 by the gas pressure supplied from the gas cylinder 101, but the supply of gas for dispensing is not necessarily a required configuration. For example, if it is possible to extract liquid from the supply source container using gravity, the supply of gas pressure is not necessary.

[0036] Various aspects of the present invention derived from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below. In the following description, corresponding components shown in the accompanying drawings will be written in parentheses to facilitate understanding of each aspect of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated forms.

[0037] A refrigerator (1) according to one aspect of the present invention includes a general-purpose cooling compartment (2) capable of storing foodstuffs and various other items, and a dispensing device (11A; 11B; 11c; 11D; 11E) connected to a supply source container (100) housed in the general-purpose cooling compartment and dispensing liquid from the supply source container.

[0038] According to the refrigerator of the above aspect, the liquid contained in the source container can be poured using the pouring device while using a general-purpose cooling compartment as a space for refrigerating the source container. Because the pouring device is added to a refrigerator equipped with a general-purpose cooling compartment, there is no need to install a separate refrigerator configured specifically for pouring liquid. A general-purpose refrigerator such as a household refrigerator can be used as a refrigerator equipped with a liquid pouring function. This reduces the burden of installation.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the following items can be further added. The following various items may be applied in appropriate combinations as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0040] The dispensing device may have a dispensing outlet (13; 25) for the liquid, and the dispensing outlet may be attached to a door (7) for opening and closing the cooling chamber. In this way, the dispensing device can be provided by modifying a general-purpose door for opening and closing a cooling chamber to have a dispensing outlet.

[0041] Furthermore, the pouring outlet may be provided on the outer surface of the door. In this case, it is possible to pour the liquid from the pouring outlet without opening the door. This improves the usability of the pouring device. There is no need to open the door to open the cooling chamber for pouring, which is also advantageous in ensuring the cooling chamber's cold insulation.

[0042] The door may be provided with a pouring chamber (17) into which a receiving container (102) for receiving liquid poured from the pouring outlet can be inserted from outside the cabinet, and the pouring outlet may be provided within the pouring chamber. In this case, the receiving container can be inserted into the pouring chamber to pour liquid. By storing the pouring outlet within the pouring chamber, it is possible to prevent the pouring outlet from protruding from the door.

[0043] Furthermore, the pouring chamber may be opened and closed to the outside by a small door. In this case, the pouring chamber can be closed when the pouring device is not in use to prevent dust from entering. By adding thermal insulation properties to the small door, it is possible to suppress heat exchange between the inside and outside of the refrigerator through the pouring chamber.

[0044] The outlet may be provided on the inner surface of the door. In this case, the outlet, which is the outlet for the liquid, can be kept at a low temperature by the cold air from the cooling chamber. This is advantageous in terms of suppressing the growth of microorganisms at the outlet.

[0045] The dispensing device (11D; 11E) may be configured as a dispensing unit that is detachable from the cooling compartment. In this case, the dispensing device can be provided in the refrigerator without any modification to the refrigerator.

[0046] Furthermore, the dispensing unit (11D) may be accommodated in the cooling compartment so as to occupy a portion of the cooling compartment. In this case, simply accommodating the dispensing unit in the cooling compartment can add a liquid dispensing function to the refrigerator. The area of ​​the cooling compartment excluding the dispensing unit can continue to be used as a general-purpose cooling compartment for storing items such as foodstuffs.

[0047] Furthermore, the cooling chamber may be divided into a plurality of cooling compartments (4, 5L, 5R, 6) that can be opened and closed independently of each other, and the dispensing unit may be attached to one of the cooling compartments (for example, 5R) by replacing it with a tray (22) that is attached to fill the cooling compartment. In this case, the dispensing device may be prepared as an optional item that is compatible with the tray, thereby increasing the variety of related parts for the refrigerator. This may improve the marketability of the refrigerator.

[0048] The dispensing device may have a dispensing outlet (13; 25) located outside the cooling chamber for the liquid, and the dispensing outlet may be coolable. In this case, the dispensing outlet outside the cooling chamber can be cooled to suppress the growth of microorganisms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 refrigerator 2 Cooling room 4, 5, 5L, 5R, 6 cooling compartments 7 Doors 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E Dispensing device 13 Tap 14 Gas tube 15 Beer Tube 17 Pour room 18 Small Door 22 Tray 25 nozzles 100 beer barrels 101 Gas Cylinder 102 mug

Claims

1. A refrigerator is provided with a general-purpose cooling compartment capable of storing foodstuffs and various other items, and a dispensing device connected to a supply source container stored in the general-purpose cooling compartment for dispensing liquid from the supply source container.

2. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the pouring device includes a pouring outlet portion serving as an outlet for the liquid, the pouring outlet portion being attached to a door for opening and closing the cooling compartment.

3. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the pouring outlet is provided on an outer surface of the door.

4. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the door is provided with a pouring chamber into which a receiving container for receiving liquid poured from the pouring outlet can be inserted from outside the refrigerator, and the pouring outlet is provided within the pouring chamber.

5. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the pouring chamber is openable and closable to the outside by a small door.

6. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the pouring outlet is provided on the inner surface of the door.

7. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing device is configured as a dispensing unit that is detachable from the cooling compartment.

8. 8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the dispensing unit can be accommodated in the cooling chamber so as to occupy a part of the cooling chamber.

9. 8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the cooling chamber is divided into a plurality of cooling compartments that can be opened and closed independently of each other, and the pouring unit can be attached to any one of the cooling compartments by replacing a tray that is attached to fill the cooling compartment.

10. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the pouring device has a pouring outlet portion located outside the cooling chamber and serving as an outlet for the liquid, the pouring outlet portion being refrigerable.

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