Water dispensing device

Abstract

The water dispensing device of the present invention comprises: a body unit having a space unit formed therein and having an open upper side; a cover unit detachably coupled to the upper end of the body unit so as to cover the open upper side of the body unit; an ice-making tray disposed inside the body unit and filled with purified water for making ice; an ice bank disposed inside the body unit and below the ice-making tray so as to store ice separated from the ice-making tray; a compressor; a condenser; an expansion valve; and a cooling means having comprising an ice-making evaporator into which the refrigerant flows after passing through the expansion valve, and which is provided to cool the purified water that fills the ice-making tray, and a freezing evaporator into which the refrigerant flows after passing through the expansion valve, and which is provided to maintain the ice stored in the ice bank in a frozen state.

Description

Water discharge device

[0001] The present invention relates to a water extraction device having an ice-making means, and more specifically, to a water extraction device capable of producing and freezing ice.

[0002] A water dispenser is a device that supplies beverages, purified water, etc.

[0003] An example of a water purifier is a water purifier, which is a device that physically and chemically filters out harmful elements such as foreign substances and heavy metals contained in water. To this end, a typical water purifier largely includes a filter unit that filters out contaminants from raw water containing contaminants, and an outlet unit that extracts purified water that has passed through the filter unit. When power is supplied to such a water purifier, raw water is supplied to the filter unit and purified, and the purified purified water is extracted through the outlet unit according to the user's choice.

[0004] Furthermore, in addition to simply purifying raw water, some purifiers also offer cooling and heating functions, providing cold and hot water by cooling or heating the purified water. Furthermore, water purifiers capable of providing ice in addition to cold and hot water, including ice-making devices, have been developed. These cooling and ice-making functions require a cooling device to cool the water passing through the filter.

[0005] Cooling devices used in water purifiers include thermoelectric elements or refrigerant compression cycle devices used in general refrigerators, and refrigerant compression cycle devices are widely used due to issues such as power consumption and cooling capacity.

[0006] Referring to prior art document 1 (Korean Patent No. 10-1602236), a conventional water purifier with an ice-making function includes a water purification tank in which purified water, after being filtered of foreign substances, is stored. Furthermore, separate from the water purification tank, an ice-making tray is provided for temporarily storing water used to make ice, and a cold water tank is provided for storing cold water cooled by the ice-making tray.

[0007] And, an evaporator is provided adjacent to the ice-making tray, and a compressor, a condenser, and a capillary tube, which form a refrigerant compression cycle device together with the evaporator, are respectively provided. In addition, an ice bank for storing the ice produced is provided below the ice-making tray. The ice bank is arranged together with the ice-making tray within a single insulated space.

[0008] A water purifier having a conventional ice-making means having a structure as described above stores ice produced in an ice-making tray in the ice bank, and moves water remaining in the ice-making tray to the cold water tank to supply cold water to a user.

[0009] Meanwhile, the evaporator is a so-called submerged evaporator, which has fingers that come into direct contact with the cold water filled in the ice tray. The submerged evaporator has been used as an ice-making means in water purifiers for a long time due to its simple structure and low production cost. Recently, an ice-making means that controls the compressor using an inverter has been used for the purpose of improving ice-making efficiency, reducing power consumption, and shortening ice-making time.

[0010] The conventional ice purifier as described above uses a three-way valve to open the cold water side valve when producing cold water, and to open the ice-making side valve when making ice.

[0011] However, the conventional ice purifier as described above has a problem in that after completing ice making, the compressor is stopped and the ice removing heater is operated to remove the ice, so the number of times the compressor is turned on / off is large, resulting in high energy consumption, and the waiting time for turning the compressor on / off is generated, resulting in a decrease in the ice making amount (kg / day).

[0012] Additionally, there were problems such as ice stored in an ice storage after being frozen melting over time, the size and amount of ice decreasing, and water being generated as the ice melted.

[0013] In detail, the conventional ice purifier as described above had the following problems when storing frozen ice because it did not store the stored ice under sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0014] First, after freezing, the frozen ice was stored at room temperature and melted during storage.

[0015] And, as the ice melted, there was a problem that the size of the ice supplied to the user was not consistent during ice extraction, and each shape was different.

[0016] For example, there were problems such as broken ice, small ice, and ice that melted easily being extracted.

[0017] Additionally, as the ice melts, water is created, and the water created as the ice melts is drained or used as cold water.

[0018] Additionally, there was a problem of low efficiency because new ice had to be created every time the ice melted.

[0019] Additionally, storing ice at room temperature can cause hygiene problems inside the ice storage.

[0020] That is, there was a problem of poor hygiene as the phenomenon of ice being created and melting repeatedly at room temperature, and the temperature change and water circulation structure inside the ice storage, created a possibility of bacteria and mold growing inside the ice storage.

[0021] Furthermore, existing ice purifiers utilize a finger-type evaporator to complete ice production. During the ice-removal process, the ice tray rotates, discharging any remaining water into the ice storage located below. If this water drips onto the ice stored in the ice bank, the quality of the ice can deteriorate.

[0022] In detail, in the case of an ice purifier that sets the internal temperature of the ice bank below zero for the purpose of long-term storage of ice, the remaining water that falls due to the operation freezes instantaneously with the ice, causing the ice to stick together and clump together, which causes poor ice discharge and ultimately causes poor ice quality and errors in operation.

[0023] Additionally, in conventional cases, insulation is foamed around the ice storage to insulate the ice storage.

[0024] However, in the past, the insulation foam was only for the insulation of ice storage and cold water tanks, and for parts that required additional insulation, there was a problem that insulation was difficult.

[0025] In addition, as an insulation layer is formed to insulate an ice storage facility that stores ice at room temperature, no matter how thick the insulation layer is formed, the ice in the ice storage facility will melt, which will eventually lead to a problem of deterioration in the quality of the ice and sanitary conditions.

[0026] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water extraction device having a refrigeration system that can perform at least one function selected from among cold water generation, ice generation, ice deicing, and ice freezing storage using refrigerant discharged from one compressor.

[0027] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water extraction device that can generate ice and de-ice the generated ice using one evaporator and one refrigerant pipe.

[0028] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water extraction device that can store ice at sub-zero temperatures without melting the ice that has been removed, and that can store ice at sub-zero temperatures without heat energy used for removing ice flowing into the ice storage space even when removing ice is in progress.

[0029] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water extraction device that can simultaneously obtain an insulation effect by forming an insulation layer not only around an ice bank where ice is stored, but also around various parts, a cold water tank, and an evaporator.

[0030] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water discharge device that can combine each component in an assembly manner and form an insulation layer at a location where insulation is required at one time during the assembly process.

[0031] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water extraction device that can be miniaturized overall by optimizing the arrangement of each component.

[0032] The purpose of the water discharge device of the present invention is to prevent ice quality deterioration by preventing ice residue from flowing into the ice bank during the process of removing ice and simultaneously discarding the remaining water in the ice tray after ice making.

[0033] In addition, the purpose is to provide a drainage device that can induce the ice residue remaining in the ice tray after ice making by the ice making evaporator to be drained into a drain pipe.

[0034] In addition, the purpose is to provide a water discharge device that can prevent problems such as ice condensation in the ice bank, blockage of the ice transport grill, difficulty in operation of the auger, or blockage of the drain pipe due to freezing of residual water dropped from the ice tray even when the temperature of the ice bank where ice is stored is maintained below zero.

[0035] A water extraction device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a body part having a space formed inside and an open upper side, and a cover part detachably coupled to an upper end of the body part to cover the open upper side of the body part.

[0036] In addition, it includes an ice tray arranged inside the body part and filled with water for ice making, and an ice bank arranged inside the body part and lower than the ice tray, in which ice separated from the ice tray is stored.

[0037] In addition, it includes a cooling means including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an ice-making evaporator into which refrigerant passing through the expansion valve is introduced and which is provided for cooling purified water filled in the ice-making tray, and a freezing evaporator into which refrigerant passing through the expansion valve is introduced and which is provided for freezing storage of ice stored in the ice bank.

[0038] In addition, the internal space of the body part may include an ice-making space formed on an upper side of the body part and in which the ice-making tray is arranged, an ice-storage space formed on a lower side of the other side of the body part and in which ice is stored, and a cooling space formed at the rear of the ice-making space or the ice-storage space and in which the refrigeration evaporator is arranged.

[0039] In addition, the ice-making space and the ice storage space may be arranged in a first direction, and the ice storage space and the cooling space may be arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

[0040] In addition, an inner cover covering the upper side of the ice-making space and the cooling space is combined at the upper end of the body part, and the cover part can cover the upper side of the inner cover.

[0041] In addition, a fan bracket that divides the ice storage space and the ice making space may be arranged in the space of the body part, and an evaporator fan that discharges cold air from the refrigeration evaporator to the upper side of the ice storage space may be installed on the upper side of the fan bracket.

[0042] Additionally, a passage connecting the lower part of the ice storage space and the lower part of the cooling space may be formed at the lower part of the fan bracket.

[0043] In addition, the body part may include an inner cover that forms a space on the inside and has an open upper side and accommodates the ice bank, and an outer cover formed to cover the outer surface of the inner cover.

[0044] In addition, a plurality of vacuum insulation panels are attached to the inner surface of the outer cover, and while the vacuum insulation panels are attached to the inner surface of the outer cover, an insulation layer can be formed by foaming and injecting insulation material between the outer cover and the inner cover.

[0045] In addition, the inner cover may have a recessed portion formed inwardly at the bottom of one side, and a cold water tank for cooling the purified water with cold water may be combined in the recessed portion.

[0046] Additionally, a cold water evaporator into which refrigerant passing through the expansion valve flows may be installed inside the cold water tank.

[0047] In addition, the bottom surface of the inner cover is formed to slope downward from the front to the rear, and a drain pipe can be formed at the lowest end of the inner cover.

[0048] Additionally, the lower end of the drain pipe is connected to a drain tank, and water discharged through the drain pipe can be stored in the drain tank.

[0049] In addition, the outer cover includes a first outer cover covering one side of the inner cover and a second outer cover covering the other side of the inner cover, and the first outer cover and the second outer cover can be separated into two sides and then combined.

[0050] Additionally, the ice bank can form a plurality of passage holes on the bottom surface and the rear surface to allow cold air or water to pass through.

[0051] In addition, the front of the body part may be at least partially open, and a dispenser part having an outlet for discharging ice may be combined at the front of the body part.

[0052] In addition, an ice discharge port through which ice stored in the ice bank is discharged may be formed in the body portion, and an ice discharge port communicating with the ice discharge port may be formed in the dispenser portion.

[0053] Additionally, the dispenser unit may include a door that opens and closes the ice outlet while rotating in the forward and backward directions.

[0054] In addition, the dispenser unit may be provided with an ice discharge unit that guides ice that has passed through the ice discharge port when the door is opened to a discharge port formed downward.

[0055] Additionally, an auger may be installed inside the ice bank to rotate in one direction and push the ice outward.

[0056] In addition, the dispenser unit may be installed with a first motor connected to the rotation axis of the ice tray to rotate the ice tray, and a second motor connected to the rotation axis of the auger to rotate the auger.

[0057] Additionally, the ice tray and the ice bank may be arranged in a first direction, and the ice bank and the refrigeration evaporator may be arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

[0058] According to the present invention as described above, even if the ice water purifier is miniaturized, there is an advantage in that ice-making performance can be secured.

[0059] Additionally, it has the advantage of improving the amount of ice produced per unit time by reducing the waiting time due to compressor protection logic in existing water purifiers.

[0060] Additionally, it can reduce noise that may occur when the compressor is turned on and off.

[0061] In addition, there is an advantage in that the heat transfer efficiency is improved and the ice-making time can be shortened by directly transferring hot gas to the inside of the finger of the ice-making evaporator without installing a separate heater in the finger type ice-making evaporator.

[0062] Additionally, since there is no on / off operation of the compressor during ice making, power consumption can be minimized, resulting in energy savings.

[0063] Additionally, there is an advantage in that the ice bank where the ice is stored is kept below freezing, preventing the ice that is created from melting.

[0064] Additionally, by keeping the ice bank where the ice is stored below freezing, there is an advantage in that the growth of bacteria and mold in or around the ice bank is suppressed, and hygiene is enhanced.

[0065] Additionally, there is the advantage of providing users with improved quality ice that is firmer and lasts longer as it is stored at sub-zero temperatures.

[0066] Above all, since the finger-type ice evaporator does not have a separate heater installed and heat is transferred by directly supplying hot gas to the inside of the finger, the heat transfer efficiency is increased, which has the advantage of shortening the ice-making time.

[0067] In addition, it has the advantage of being equipped with a four-way refrigerant valve, so that one compressor can be operated to produce cold water, produce ice, separate ice, and store frozen ice.

[0068] In addition, during the freezing process, heat is not transmitted to the ice storage space and is blocked, preventing the stored ice from melting due to the heat energy used for freezing, and there is also an advantage in that the ice can be stored at sub-zero temperatures even during the freezing process.

[0069] Additionally, there is an advantage in that an insulation layer is formed not only around the ice bank where ice is stored, but also around various parts, cold water tanks, and evaporators, so that an insulation effect can be achieved at the same time.

[0070] Additionally, there is an advantage in that each component can be combined in an assembly manner, and an insulation layer can be formed in the location where insulation is required at one time during the assembly process.

[0071] Additionally, the layout of each component is optimized, which allows for overall miniaturization.

[0072] In addition, after ice making, there is an advantage in that the ice quality can be maintained because the ice making residual water does not flow into the ice bank during the process of discarding the remaining water in the ice making tray at the same time as the ice removal.

[0073] In addition, there is an advantage in that the ice residue remaining in the ice tray after ice making by the ice making evaporator can be drained into the drain pipe.

[0074] Additionally, even if the temperature of the ice bank where the ice is stored is maintained below zero, there is an advantage in that it can prevent problems such as ice condensation in the ice bank, blockage of the ice transport grill, difficulty in operation of the auger, or blockage of the drain pipe due to freezing of residual water from the ice tray.

[0075] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water extraction device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] Figure 2 is a drawing showing a first embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention.

[0077] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a second embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention.

[0078] Fig. 4 is a drawing showing a second embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention.

[0079] Fig. 5 is a drawing showing a second embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention.

[0080] Figure 6 is a perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0081] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the cover part separated from Fig. 6.

[0082] Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of Figure 7.

[0083] Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0084] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0085] Fig. 11 is a side view of a longitudinal cross-section of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] Figure 12 is a drawing of the inside of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention viewed from above.

[0087] Figure 13 is a drawing illustrating a fan bracket, which is a component of the present invention.

[0088] Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a part of a refrigerant compression cycle device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] Figure 15 is a drawing illustrating a cold water tank, which is a component of the present invention.

[0090] Figure 16 is a drawing illustrating a drain tank, which is a component of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 17 is a drawing showing an outer cover, which is a component of the present invention.

[0092] Figure 18 is a drawing illustrating an inner cover, which is a component of the present invention.

[0093] Figure 19 is a drawing showing a cover part, which is a component of the present invention.

[0094] Figure 20 is a drawing showing the position of the ice tray step by step during the rotation operation of the ice tray.

[0095] Figure 21 is a drawing showing the assembly process of the water extraction device according to the present invention.

[0096] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention will be able to easily implement other embodiments within the scope of the same spirit by adding, modifying, deleting, or adding components, and such embodiments will also be considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0097] The ice extraction device of the present invention is a water extraction device capable of generating ice, and is characterized by implementing a refrigeration cycle so that the generated ice can be stored without melting.

[0098] Existing ice water purifiers have a structure in which water circulates at room temperature, so the ice produced is also stored at room temperature, which has the problem of hygienic problems such as mold growth, and the problem of ice quality deteriorating as melted ice is extracted.

[0099] The present invention has a feature that the ice produced can be stored in a frozen state so that the ice does not melt.

[0100] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a water extraction device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention.

[0101] The water extraction device according to the present invention is for extracting water supplied from an external water source immediately after purification, or extracting it after cooling or heating it, and may mean, for example, a direct water extraction device.

[0102] Here, a direct-type water extraction device refers to a water extraction device that does not have a reservoir for storing purified water, but rather a type in which water passes through a filter in real time and purified water is extracted when a user requests purified water extraction.

[0103] In addition, the water extraction device according to the present invention may refer to a refrigerator having a water extraction device function. That is, it may refer to a water extraction device refrigerator that is a refrigerator and has a filter for purifying raw water and a water extraction nozzle through which purified water is extracted.

[0104] In addition, the water outlet device according to the present invention may mean an under-sink type water outlet device in which the main body is installed under the sink and the water outlet nozzle is installed on the outside of the sink.

[0105] In addition, the water discharging device according to the present invention may refer to various types of known devices that receive water from a water source, purify it by passing it through a filter, and then supply it to the outside.

[0106] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a water treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body (10) and a water discharge nozzle (30) coupled to the main body (10) and supplying water downward.

[0107] The above main body (10) is formed to be concave toward the rear at the lower part of the front, and forms a water outlet space (11) in which a container for supplying water and ice is placed.

[0108] That is, the main body (10) forms a water outlet (20) protruding forward at the upper part of the front.

[0109] And, the above-mentioned water discharge nozzle (30) is installed at the lower end of the water discharge portion (20) defining the upper surface of the water discharge space (11).

[0110] In addition, the above-mentioned water outlet (20) may be equipped with various buttons (40). In detail, a purified water / hot water / cold water selection button, a water outlet button, an ice selection button, an ice extraction button, etc. may be equipped.

[0111] At least one filter is arranged inside the main body (10), and purified water passing through the filter can be supplied to the user through the water outlet nozzle (30). A purified water path that guides purified water passing through the filter toward the water outlet nozzle (30) can be arranged inside the main body (10).

[0112] In addition, purified water passing through the filter can be supplied to the water outlet nozzle (30) in the form of cold water or hot water after being cooled or heated.

[0113] To this end, a hot water tank for heating purified water passing through the filter and a hot water path for guiding the heated hot water in the hot water tank toward the water outlet nozzle (30) may be arranged inside the main body (10). For example, the hot water tank may generate hot water by instantaneously heating purified water passing through the hot water tank using an induction heating (IH) method.

[0114] In addition, the hot water tank may be equipped with a thermoelectric element or a heating wire to heat purified water passing through the hot water tank into hot water.

[0115] In addition, instead of the above induction heating method, various heating methods can be applied within the range where purified water passing through the above hot water tank can be heated into hot water.

[0116] In addition, a cooling tank for cooling purified water passing through the filter and a cold water path for guiding the cold water cooled in the cooling tank toward the water outlet nozzle (30) may be arranged inside the main body (10). For example, the cooling tank may be equipped with a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a cooling fan, etc., so that purified water passing through the cooling tank can be cooled with cold water. In addition, the cooling tank may be equipped with a thermoelectric element, so that purified water passing through the cooling tank can be cooled with cold water.

[0117] In addition, instead of the above evaporator, various cooling devices can be applied within the range of being able to cool the purified water passing through the cooling tank with cold water.

[0118] In addition, an ice-making means (100) may be provided on the inside of the main body (10) to cool and produce ice by supplying purified water that has passed through the filter or cold water cooled in the cooling tank.

[0119] In addition, the ice produced by the ice making means is stored under sub-zero temperature conditions where the ice does not melt, and can be supplied to the user through the water outlet nozzle (30) or an outlet (50) provided separately from the water outlet nozzle (30).

[0120] Hereinafter, the above ice-making means will be described in more detail.

[0121] The above ice making means (100) includes an ice making unit (110), a dispenser unit (150), and a cover unit (102).

[0122] First, the ice making means (100) includes an ice making unit (110).

[0123] For reference, the above ice making unit (110) is configured to include a body unit (101) and a cover unit (102) described later.

[0124] The body part (101) and cover part (102) described below can be understood as a housing that forms the exterior of the ice making part (110).

[0125] The above ice-making unit (110) is surrounded by insulating material to secure an insulated space. An ice-making tray (120) is installed in the insulated space formed inside the ice-making unit (110) to temporarily store water to be used for ice-making. Specifically, the ice-making tray (120) is mounted on a driving motor and a rotational shaft, and is mounted so as to be rotatable around the rotational shaft.

[0126] Accordingly, when the ice tray (120) is rotated, the contents such as water and ice contained inside the ice tray (120) fall to the lower side of the ice tray (120). An ice bank (130) is provided so that the falling ice and water can be fed. The ice bank (130) has an opening formed at the top, through which the water and ice that fall from the ice tray (120) can enter the interior of the ice bank (130).

[0127] For reference, at this time, the water and ice that fell from the ice tray (120) are separated, the ice is stored in the ice bank (130), and the water can be drained through a separate path.

[0128] The ice bank (130) above is equipped with an auger (140) that rotates in one direction and pushes ice outward, and an ice discharge unit (158) is located at the outlet side of the auger (140). The ice discharge unit (158) is connected to the interior of the discharge port (50) described above, so that ice discharged by the operation of the auger (140) can be delivered to the user from the discharge port (50).

[0129] The bottom surface of the ice bank (130) is made of a water-permeable material or is configured so that a plurality of permeable holes are formed so that the supplied water can pass through the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) and flow out downward. The water thus flowed out is stored inside a residual water storage tank located at the bottom of the ice bank (130) or drained through a separate drain pipe.

[0130] Here, the drain pipe may also be equipped with a pump for drainage, or an external pump may be connected to the drain pipe to perform drainage.

[0131] Meanwhile, the ice-making means (100) includes a refrigerant compression cycle device (200) to freeze water supplied to the ice-making tray (120) or cool water in the cold water tank. Specifically, the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) includes a compressor (210), a condenser (220), a dryer (230), an expansion valve (240), an evaporator (250), and an accumulator. Since the operating principles of each component are known from the prior art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0132] The refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) is supplied for at least one of the following uses.

[0133] First, the refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) can be supplied to a cold water evaporator provided in the cold water tank to lower the temperature of the cooling water or cold water in the cold water tank.

[0134] Additionally, the refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) can be supplied to an ice evaporator placed on the side of the ice tray to freeze water contained in the ice tray.

[0135] Additionally, the refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) may be supplied to an ice evaporator or a separate heat exchanger placed on the ice tray side to freeze the ice generated in the ice tray.

[0136] Additionally, the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) can be supplied to a freezing evaporator placed on one side of the ice storage space so that the ice separated from the ice tray is stored at sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0137] The above evaporator (250) may be provided in multiple numbers. The above evaporator (250) may be divided into an evaporator for generating cold water, an evaporator for generating ice, and an evaporator for storing ice.

[0138] In addition, the evaporator (250) can perform multiple functions selected from among cold water cooling, ice making, and ice storage, and each evaporator can individually perform the functions of cold water cooling, ice making, and ice storage.

[0139] In addition, when a plurality of evaporators (250) are provided as described above, a plurality of refrigerant pipes may be provided to transfer the refrigerant passing through the dryer (230) to each evaporator (250).

[0140] The above refrigerant pipe may refer to a single pipe, path, etc. through which the refrigerant flows, and may also refer to a plurality of separate pipes, paths, etc. for connection to other devices such as an evaporator or capillary tube.

[0141] In the following description, it is described that the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser and the dryer in sequence flows to the refrigerant valve, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and it is to be noted in advance that the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser may flow directly to the refrigerant valve without passing through the dryer.

[0142] And, each of the above refrigerant pipes may be connected in parallel, or at least some of the refrigerant pipes may be connected in series.

[0143] That is, multiple evaporators may be connected in parallel, or at least some of the evaporators may be connected in series.

[0144] And, when each of the above refrigerant pipes is connected in parallel or series, a refrigerant valve for transmitting or blocking refrigerant to each refrigerant pipe may be provided.

[0145] In a refrigeration cycle where refrigerant discharged from a compressor is returned to the compressor, when one component is said to be connected "in series" with another component, it means that the two components are connected in series so that the refrigerant flowing from one component continues to the other. There may be components between the two series-connected components that form a passage for the refrigerant to flow, such as refrigerant pipes or expansion valves.

[0146] In addition, when it is said that a component is connected “in parallel” with another component in a flow path through which refrigerant discharged from a compressor flows, it means that the flow path connected to one component and the flow path connected to the other component branch off from the upstream side of the two components and join together from the downstream side of the two components based on the flow direction of the refrigerant. The flow path may be implemented as a component in which a passage through which refrigerant flows is formed, such as a refrigerant pipe or an expansion valve, and components such as valves and connecting pipes may be arranged at the points where the flow paths branch off and join together. Hereinafter, a refrigerant cycle according to various embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0147] First, referring to FIG. 2, the evaporator (250) includes a cold water evaporator (251) for generating cold water and a refrigeration evaporator (253) for supplying cold air to prevent ice stored in an ice bank (130) from melting.

[0148] The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) passes through the condenser (220) and the dryer (230) and then flows into the refrigerant valve (270). For reference, a condenser fan (280) may be installed on one side of the condenser (220) to dissipate heat from the condenser.

[0149] And, the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) can flow into the first refrigerant pipe (291) or the third refrigerant pipe (293).

[0150] For example, the refrigerant valve (270) may be provided as a three-way valve having one inlet and two outlets, and capable of individually opening and closing each inlet and outlet and controlling the degree of opening.

[0151] For reference, the above refrigerant valve (270) may be composed of multiple valves. In addition, a refrigerant valve may be individually installed in each refrigerant pipe (291, 293).

[0152] In the above or subsequent description, the expansion valve refers to an expansion valve. In addition, the expansion valve may include a capillary or electronic expansion valve.

[0153] First, the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe (291) passes through the first expansion valve (241) and then flows to the cold water evaporator (251).

[0154] And, the cold water evaporator (251) cools the water in the cold water tank into cold water through heat exchange with purified water passing through the cold water tank.

[0155] The refrigerant that has passed through the above cold water evaporator (251) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0156] Meanwhile, the refrigerant flowing through the third refrigerant pipe (293) passes through the third expansion valve (243) and then flows to the refrigerating evaporator (253).

[0157] In addition, the refrigeration evaporator (253) supplies cold air to prevent the ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting. In order to supply cold air toward the ice bank (130) as described above, an evaporator fan (260) that forms a discharge airflow toward the ice bank (130) may be formed on one side of the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0158] The refrigerant that has passed through the above-mentioned refrigerant evaporator (253) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0159] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the refrigerant passing through the dryer (230) can flow to the cold water evaporator (251) through the three-way valve or to the freezer evaporator (253).

[0160] In the above embodiment, the refrigerant passing through the dryer (230) may flow to the cold water evaporator (251) through a three-way valve, or may flow to the ice-making evaporator provided for ice-making.

[0161] Additionally, a refrigerant pipe may be formed so that the refrigerant passing through the ice-making evaporator flows to the freezing evaporator (253).

[0162] As another example, referring to FIG. 3, the evaporator (250) includes a cold water evaporator (251) for generating cold water, an ice evaporator (252) arranged on the side of the ice tray (120) for making ice, and a freezing evaporator (253) for supplying cold air to prevent ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting.

[0163] The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) passes through the condenser (220) and the dryer (230) and then flows into the refrigerant valve (270). For reference, a condenser fan (280) may be installed on one side of the condenser (220) to dissipate heat from the condenser.

[0164] And, the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) can flow into the first refrigerant pipe (291), the second refrigerant pipe (292), or the third refrigerant pipe (293).

[0165] For example, the refrigerant valve (270) may be provided as a 4-way valve having one inlet and three outlets, and capable of individually opening and closing each inlet and outlet and controlling the degree of opening.

[0166] For reference, the above refrigerant valve (270) may be provided as a three-way valve or may be composed of multiple valves. In addition, refrigerant valves may be individually installed in each refrigerant pipe (291, 292, 293).

[0167] First, the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe (291) passes through the first expansion valve (241) and then flows to the cold water evaporator (251).

[0168] And, the cold water evaporator (251) cools the water in the cold water tank into cold water through heat exchange with purified water passing through the cold water tank.

[0169] The refrigerant that has passed through the above cold water evaporator (251) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0170] Meanwhile, the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe (292) passes through the second expansion valve (242) and then flows to the ice evaporator (252).

[0171] And, the refrigerant introduced into the ice evaporator (252) exchanges heat with the water contained in the ice tray (120) to freeze the water into ice.

[0172] The refrigerant that has passed through the above ice evaporator (252) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0173] The above ice evaporator (252) can be provided in various ways.

[0174] First, the ice evaporator (252) may be equipped with a finger-type evaporator. The finger-type evaporator is a method of creating ice around the fingers by placing the fingers of the evaporator in a tray containing water.

[0175] Additionally, the ice evaporator (252) may be provided as a type that sprays water onto the evaporator to create ice around the evaporator.

[0176] Additionally, the ice evaporator may not be provided separately for ice making operation only, and the ice evaporator may be installed on the bottom of the ice tray.

[0177] That is, without having an ice-making evaporator and a freezing evaporator separately, it is possible to freeze water contained in an ice-making tray with cold air generated from a single evaporator, or to supply cold air to prevent ice separated from the ice-making tray from melting.

[0178] Meanwhile, the refrigerant flowing through the third refrigerant pipe (293) passes through the third expansion valve (243) and then flows to the refrigerating evaporator (253).

[0179] In addition, the refrigeration evaporator (253) supplies cold air to prevent the ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting. In order to supply cold air toward the ice bank (130) as described above, an evaporator fan (260) that forms a discharge airflow toward the ice bank (130) may be formed on one side of the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0180] The refrigerant that has passed through the above-mentioned refrigerant evaporator (253) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0181] In addition, in the above embodiment, the ice evaporator (252) may be provided with a plurality of fingers (252a) whose ends are immersed in water supplied to the ice tray (120). Accordingly, when cold refrigerant flows inside the ice evaporator (252), water in contact with the surrounding area freezes, causing ice to gradually grow.

[0182] In order to separate the ice grown around the ice evaporator (252), a separate ice separating means may be provided on one side of the ice evaporator (252). For example, the ice separating means may be provided as an ice separating heater.

[0183] For reference, 'ice separating' means separating ice stuck to the ice evaporator (252) from the ice evaporator (252), and has the same meaning as deicing.

[0184] Immediately after ice making is completed in the ice evaporator (252), the ice is stuck to the ice evaporator (252), so a separate ice separating means is required to separate the ice from the ice evaporator (252).

[0185] As another example, referring to FIG. 4, the evaporator (250) includes a cold water evaporator (251) for generating cold water, an ice evaporator (252) arranged on the side of the ice tray (120) for making ice, and a freezing evaporator (253) for supplying cold air to prevent ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting.

[0186] The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) passes through the condenser (220) and the dryer (230) and then flows into the refrigerant valve (270). For reference, a condenser fan (280) may be installed on one side of the condenser (220) to dissipate heat from the condenser.

[0187] And, the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) can flow into the first refrigerant pipe (291) or the second refrigerant pipe (292).

[0188] For example, the refrigerant valve (270) may be provided as a three-way valve having one inlet and two outlets, and capable of individually opening and closing each inlet and outlet and controlling the degree of opening.

[0189] First, the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe (291) passes through the first expansion valve (241) and then flows to the cold water evaporator (251).

[0190] And, the cold water evaporator (251) cools the water in the cold water tank into cold water through heat exchange with purified water passing through the cold water tank.

[0191] The refrigerant that has passed through the above cold water evaporator (251) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0192] Meanwhile, the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe (292) passes through the second expansion valve (242) and then flows to the ice evaporator (252).

[0193] And, the refrigerant introduced into the ice evaporator (252) exchanges heat with the water contained in the ice tray (120) to freeze the water into ice.

[0194] In the above embodiment, the ice evaporator (252) has a plurality of fingers (252a) that are immersed at one end in water supplied to the ice tray (120). Therefore, when cold refrigerant flows inside the ice evaporator (252), water in contact with the surrounding area freezes, causing ice to gradually grow.

[0195] In order to separate the ice grown around the ice evaporator (252), a separate ice separating means may be provided on one side of the ice evaporator (252).

[0196] Additionally, in this embodiment, the refrigerant that has passed through the ice evaporator (252) flows to the freezing evaporator (253).

[0197] That is, both the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are installed in the second refrigerant pipe (292), the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are connected in series, and the ice-making evaporator (252) is located upstream of the freezing evaporator (253) based on the flow direction of the refrigerant.

[0198] In addition, the refrigeration evaporator (253) supplies cold air to prevent the ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting. In order to supply cold air toward the ice bank (130) as described above, an evaporator fan (260) that forms a discharge airflow toward the ice bank (130) may be formed on one side of the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0199] As described above, when the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are connected in series, the refrigerant can be cooled by one expansion valve, and the cooled refrigerant can be supplied to the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253), which has the advantage of reducing the number of parts and minimizing the space occupied by the parts.

[0200] In addition, since it first passes through the ice-making evaporator (252) that requires a relatively lower temperature, there is an advantage in that the ice-making performance is secured while the frozen ice can be stored without melting.

[0201] As described above, the refrigerant that passes through the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) in sequence flows back to the compressor (210).

[0202] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the refrigerant passing through the dryer (230) flows through a three-way valve to the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe.

[0203] For reference, the above refrigerant valve (270) may be composed of multiple valves. In addition, a refrigerant valve may be individually installed in each refrigerant pipe (291, 292).

[0204] The refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe (291) cools as it passes through the first expansion valve (241), and flows to the cold water evaporator (251), thereby cooling the purified water passing through the cold water tank into cold water.

[0205] On the other hand, the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe (292) cools as it passes through the second expansion valve (242), flows to the ice-making evaporator (252), and freezes the water in the ice tray into ice. Then, the refrigerant passing through the ice-making evaporator (252) flows to the fin type refrigerant evaporator (253) to generate cold air for ice storage, and the cold air generated in the refrigerant evaporator (253) can be introduced to the ice bank (130) through the evaporator fan (260).

[0206] Accordingly, the ice bank (130) is configured in a shape that allows cold air intake and cold air discharge, so that cold air can circulate, and the ice bank (130) is maintained below zero, so that the ice in the ice bank (130) can be stored without melting.

[0207] As another example, referring to FIG. 5, the evaporator (250) includes a cold water evaporator (251) for generating cold water, an ice evaporator (252) arranged on the side of the ice tray (120) for making ice, and a freezing evaporator (253) for supplying cold air to prevent ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting.

[0208] The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) passes through the condenser (220) and the dryer (230) and then flows into the refrigerant valve (270). For reference, a condenser fan (280) may be installed on one side of the condenser (220) to dissipate heat from the condenser.

[0209] And, the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) can flow into the first refrigerant pipe (291) or the second refrigerant pipe (292).

[0210] Additionally, the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) may flow into the fourth refrigerant pipe (294) to supply hot gas to the ice evaporator (252).

[0211] For example, the refrigerant valve (270) may be provided as a 4-way valve having one inlet and three outlets, and capable of individually opening and closing each inlet and outlet and controlling the degree of opening.

[0212] For reference, the above refrigerant valve (270) may be configured as a single four-way valve, or may be configured using multiple three-way valves, etc. In addition, a refrigerant valve may be individually installed in each refrigerant pipe (291, 292, 294).

[0213] First, the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe (291) passes through the first expansion valve (241) and then flows to the cold water evaporator (251).

[0214]

[0215] *And, the cold water evaporator (251) cools the water in the cold water tank into cold water through heat exchange with purified water passing through the cold water tank.

[0216] The refrigerant that has passed through the above cold water evaporator (251) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0217] Meanwhile, the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe (292) passes through the second expansion valve (242) and then flows to the ice evaporator (252).

[0218] And, the refrigerant introduced into the ice evaporator (252) exchanges heat with the water contained in the ice tray (120) to freeze the water into ice.

[0219] In the above embodiment, the ice evaporator (252) has a plurality of fingers (252a) that are immersed at one end in water supplied to the ice tray (120). Therefore, when cold refrigerant flows inside the ice evaporator (252), water in contact with the surrounding area freezes, causing ice to gradually grow.

[0220] In order to separate the ice grown around the ice evaporator (252), a separate ice separating means may be provided on one side of the ice evaporator (252).

[0221] For example, in order to separate ice grown around the ice evaporator (252), the high-temperature refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) can be supplied directly to the ice evaporator (252) by bypassing the second refrigerant pipe (292). For this purpose, a fourth refrigerant pipe (294) is provided.

[0222] The fourth refrigerant pipe (294) connects the refrigerant valve (270) and the ice evaporator (252). The fourth refrigerant pipe (240) bypasses the second refrigerant pipe (292) and connects the refrigerant valve (270) and the ice evaporator (252).

[0223] Therefore, in an ice-making situation, the refrigerant of the refrigerant valve (270) flows to the second refrigerant pipe (292), and in an ice-breaking situation, the refrigerant of the refrigerant valve (270) flows to the fourth refrigerant pipe (294).

[0224] That is, in an ice-breaking situation, the high-temperature refrigerant (hot gas) introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) is supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) through the fourth refrigerant pipe (294) to melt the ice stuck to the ice-making evaporator (252) and cause ice-breaking. As described above, the refrigerant that provides the heat necessary for ice-breaking while passing through the ice-making evaporator (252) can flow to the compressor (210) via the freezing evaporator (253).

[0225] However, when the high-temperature refrigerant flows to the freezing evaporator (253) during the freezing process as described above, if the evaporator fan (260) operates, high-temperature air is supplied to the ice bank (130), and the temperature of the ice bank (130) rises to zero, causing a problem in which the ice melts.

[0226] Accordingly, in an ice-making situation where high-temperature refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) as described above, the evaporator fan (260) can be controlled to stop operating or to have a rotation speed lower than that in the cooling mode.

[0227] Additionally, in an ice-making situation where high-temperature refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253), the condenser fan (280) may also be controlled to stop operating or have a rotation speed lowered compared to the cooling mode.

[0228] In general, high temperature, high pressure gas discharged from the compressor passes through a condenser (220) and is converted into high temperature, high pressure liquid.

[0229] In the present embodiment, when ice is removed, the operation of the condenser fan (280) is stopped or controlled to rotate at a low speed, so that the refrigerant passing through the condenser (220) can reach the ice-making evaporator (252) in a gaseous state.

[0230] In the present embodiment, a forced convection condenser (220) may be used as a type of condenser. In the case of a forced convection condenser, since air is circulated through a condenser fan (280) to condense the refrigerant, if the condenser fan (280) stops operating, the condensation performance deteriorates. Therefore, if the condenser fan (280) stops operating, the refrigerant may remain in a gaseous state even if it passes through the condenser (220).

[0231] Meanwhile, it is also possible to consider providing a separate electric heater or other means of moving.

[0232] In addition, in the above-described ice-making situation, even if the operation of the evaporator fan is stopped or the rotation speed of the evaporator fan is controlled to a low speed, if ice-making proceeds in a situation where the temperature of the space where ice is stored is not secured, the problem of the ice being stored melting may also occur as the temperature of the ice storage space increases due to the heat source supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) for ice-making.

[0233] In particular, in the case of a structure in which the ice-making evaporator and the freezing evaporator are connected in series, the temperature of the ice storage space cannot help but rise due to the hot gas flowing through the ice-making evaporator and the freezing evaporator during ice removal.

[0234] Accordingly, when a condition is met that the temperature of the space where ice is stored is below a preset temperature (e.g., -11°C), control can be performed to perform an ice-making operation by supplying hot gas, etc.

[0235] In this embodiment, the refrigerant passing through the ice evaporator (252) flows to the freezing evaporator (253).

[0236] That is, both the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are installed in the second refrigerant pipe (292), the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are connected in series, and the ice-making evaporator (252) is located upstream of the freezing evaporator (253) based on the flow direction of the refrigerant.

[0237] In addition, the refrigeration evaporator (253) supplies cold air to prevent the ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting. In order to supply cold air toward the ice bank (130) as described above, an evaporator fan (260) that forms a discharge airflow toward the ice bank (130) may be formed on one side of the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0238] As described above, the refrigerant that passes through the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) in sequence flows back to the compressor (210).

[0239] In the various embodiments described above, the ice bank (130) can be maintained at a temperature at which ice does not melt by the refrigeration evaporator (253) and the evaporator fan (260).

[0240] The present invention as described above can implement cold water generation, ice making, and ice removal in one refrigerant cycle.

[0241] To this end, a 4-way refrigerant valve (270) is installed at the rear end of the dryer (230), so that the refrigerant passing through the dryer (230) can be delivered to the first refrigerant pipe (291) for cold water production, to the second refrigerant pipe (292) for ice production and frozen storage, or to the fourth refrigerant pipe (294) for ice removal.

[0242] In detail, in a situation where cold water generation is required, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet side of the first refrigerant pipe (291) to discharge the refrigerant to the first expansion valve (241) and the cold water evaporator (251).

[0243] Meanwhile, in a situation where ice making is required, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet of the second refrigerant pipe (292) to discharge the refrigerant through the second expansion valve (242). Then, the refrigerant passing through the second expansion valve (242) passes through the ice-making evaporator (252) to create ice, and passes through the freezing evaporator (253) to create cold air to prevent the frozen ice from melting.

[0244] In addition, in a situation where cold water generation and ice making are required at the same time, the refrigerant valve (270) can open both the outlet on the first refrigerant pipe (291) side and the outlet on the second refrigerant pipe (292) side to generate cold water and also generate ice.

[0245] Meanwhile, in a situation where ice removal is required after ice making is completed, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet of the fourth refrigerant pipe (294), supplies the hot refrigerant (hot gas) that has passed through the condenser to the ice making evaporator (252), and melts and separates the ice from the fingers (252a) of the ice making evaporator (252).

[0246] In addition, when the ice-making process is completed, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet of the second refrigerant pipe (292), thereby generating ice or generating cold air to prevent the ice-making ice from melting. In the case of the present invention as described above, the refrigerant cycle is implemented so that the ice produced in the ice purifier does not melt and is stored under sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0247] Conventional ice water purifiers do not have a separate refrigerant cycle to store ice at sub-zero temperatures.

[0248] In the present invention, a refrigerant cycle for storing ice at sub-zero temperatures is established so that ice can be stored in a frozen state without melting even after ice making and ice removal.

[0249] The refrigerating evaporator (253) used in the present invention can be manufactured by miniaturizing the fin type evaporator (Fin Type EVA) used in a general refrigerator, and can be installed downstream of the ice-making evaporator (Finger Type EVA) based on the refrigerant flow direction.

[0250] And, an evaporator fan is installed to allow cold air generated from a refrigerated evaporator (253), which is a fin type evaporator (Fin Type EVA), to flow into the ice bank, thereby forming a cooling path.

[0251] The above evaporator fan causes cold air to flow from the above refrigerated evaporator toward the ice bank.

[0252] Accordingly, when the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe (292) passes through the second expansion valve (242), ice making is performed firstly while passing through the finger type ice evaporator (252), and secondly while passing through the fin type refrigeration evaporator (253), cold air is generated. Then, as the evaporator fan (260) operates, the cold air generated in the refrigeration evaporator (253) flows into the ice bank (130), so that the ice in the ice bank can be stored at sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0253] Additionally, while the freezing evaporator (253) cools the ice-making and ice-storage space, the ice-making evaporator (252) may not produce ice.

[0254] While ice is being created in the ice evaporator (252), the refrigerant passing through the ice evaporator (252) exchanges heat with water and its temperature rises.

[0255] In a configuration of a refrigeration cycle in which a freezing evaporator (253) is placed downstream of an ice-making evaporator (252) based on the direction of refrigerant flow, refrigerant whose temperature has increased by passing through the ice-making evaporator (252) flows into the freezing evaporator (253), so it may be difficult to cool the ice-making and ice-storage space below a certain temperature.

[0256] Considering these problems, low-temperature refrigerant can be supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) in a state where the ice-making evaporator (252) does not generate ice. In this case, the refrigerant passes through the ice-making evaporator (252) without generating ice in the ice-making evaporator (252), and thus enters the freezing evaporator (253) with minimized heat loss. Accordingly, the freezing evaporator (253) can quickly cool the ice-making and ice-storage space or cool it to a temperature below a certain level.

[0257] For example, the control unit may not supply water to the ice tray (120) or drain the water contained in the ice tray (120) to prevent ice making. Even if ice making is not performed, low-temperature refrigerant may flow into the ice evaporator (252), and in this case, the ice evaporator (252) may only serve as a passage through which the refrigerant flows toward the freezing evaporator (253). The evaporator fan (260) may be installed on a separate fan bracket (118) and placed on the upper portion of the freezing evaporator (253).

[0258] The above fan bracket (118) may be formed to surround the edge of the evaporator fan (260) to secure the evaporator fan (260) in place.

[0259] Additionally, the fan bracket (118) can serve as an intermediate wall that divides one space into two spaces.

[0260] For example, the fan bracket (118) can partition a space where a refrigerating evaporator (253) is placed and a space where an ice-making evaporator (252) is placed. In addition, a defrosting heater (116) is installed on one side of the refrigerating evaporator (253). The defrosting heater (116) is provided to remove frost formed on the refrigerating evaporator (253), and during defrosting operation, power is supplied to melt and control the frost formed on the refrigerating evaporator (253).

[0261] In addition, the ice making unit (110) may be provided with a refrigerant pipe insulation material (117) that covers the refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows to the ice making evaporator (252) or through which the refrigerant passes through the ice making evaporator (252).

[0262] According to the present invention as described above, even if the ice water purifier is miniaturized, there is an advantage in that ice-making performance can be secured.

[0263] Additionally, there is an advantage of improving the amount of ice produced per unit time by reducing the waiting time (5 minutes) due to the compressor protection logic in existing ice purifiers.

[0264] Additionally, it can reduce noise that may occur when turning the compressor ON / OFF.

[0265] In addition, there is an advantage in that the heat transfer efficiency is improved and the ice-making time can be shortened by directly transferring hot gas to the inside of the finger of the ice-making evaporator without installing a separate heater in the finger type ice-making evaporator.

[0266] Additionally, since there is no ON / OFF of the compressor during ice making, power consumption can be minimized, resulting in energy savings.

[0267] Additionally, there is an advantage in that the ice bank where the ice is stored is kept below freezing, preventing the ice that is created from melting.

[0268] Additionally, by keeping the ice bank where the ice is stored below freezing, there is an advantage in that the growth of bacteria and mold in or around the ice bank is suppressed, and hygiene is enhanced.

[0269] Additionally, there is the advantage of providing users with improved quality ice that is firmer and lasts longer as it is stored at sub-zero temperatures.

[0270] For reference, existing ice purifiers store ice at room temperature of around 3 to 4 degrees, so if ice is stored for a long time, there is a problem that the ice melts, shrinks in size, and becomes deformed.

[0271] In order to maintain a certain amount of ice, there was also the problem of electricity waste as the melted ice water had to be drained and new ice had to be continuously made.

[0272] Additionally, there was a problem in that it was difficult to maintain a constant ice-making speed or ice size depending on the external environment (season, weather, temperature, etc.) of the ice-making device.

[0273] On the other hand, according to the extraction device of the present invention, ice can be stored at a sub-zero temperature.

[0274] For example, while the refrigeration evaporator (253) is operating, the temperature range of the ice storage room can be maintained at -18 to -2 degrees, and suitably -11 to -9 degrees.

[0275] Above all, since the finger-type ice evaporator does not have a separate heater installed and heat is transferred by directly supplying hot gas to the inside of the finger, the heat transfer efficiency is increased and the ice-making time can be shortened.

[0276] In addition, it has the advantage of being equipped with a four-way refrigerant valve, so that one compressor can be operated to produce cold water, produce ice, separate ice, and store frozen ice.

[0277] Hereinafter, the structure of the ice making means of the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0278] In the following description, the term “front” refers to the direction in which the water outlet nozzle (40) through which water is supplied and the ice outlet (50) through which ice is supplied are arranged.

[0279] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the cover unit separated from Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0280] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9, the ice making means of the present invention may include a body part (101) having an open upper side and forming a space on the inside, and an open upper side, and a cover part (102) detachably coupled to the upper end of the body part (101) to cover the open upper side of the body part (101).

[0281] The above cover part (102) is formed as a single body and can cover the entire open upper side of the body part (101).

[0282] The above cover part (102) has an opening / closing structure that can be separated from and then reattached to the body part (101).

[0283] In addition, the cover part (102) may be provided in multiple numbers to partially open and close the open upper side of the body part (101).

[0284] The above cover part (102) is detachably connected to the upper part of the body part (101), and can be separated and then reconnected.

[0285] A clip portion (101a) that is coupled to the cover portion (102) can be formed in the body portion (101).

[0286] The above clip portion (101a) has a center of rotation at the upper end of the body portion (101), and can be attached to or separated from the cover portion (102) while rotating.

[0287] The above clip portion (101a) forms a fixing clip (101c) that is secured to the upper end of the cover portion (102). The fixing clip (101c) extends inward from the clip portion (101a). The extension direction of the fixing clip (101c) and the extension direction of the clip portion (101a) intersect.

[0288] In addition, a clip groove (102c) can be formed inwardly to accommodate the clip portion (101a) in the cover portion (102).

[0289] In the above case, when the cover part (102) is arranged on the upper part of the body part (101) and the clip part (101a) is fastened, the clip part (101a) is received in the clip home (102c), the fixing clip (101c) is located on the upper part of the cover part (102), and a force is generated that presses the upper part of the cover part (102) by the fixing clip (101c), so that the cover part (102) can be coupled to the body part (101).

[0290] For example, the above clip portion (101a) may be formed on the front and rear sides of the body portion (101), and a total of four clip portions may be provided.

[0291] In addition, clip grooves (102c) may be formed on both sides of the cover portion (102) at the front and rear, respectively, to accommodate and fasten each of the clip portions (101a).

[0292] Additionally, a gasket (105, see Fig. 17) may be installed between the body portion (101) and the cover portion (102) for sealing.

[0293] The above gasket (105, see FIG. 17) can be fixed to the lower part of the cover part (102).

[0294] Conversely, the gasket may be formed at the upper end of the body portion (101).

[0295] In addition, a configuration in which a clip portion is formed on the cover portion (102) and the clip portion is fastened to and then released from the body portion (101) is also possible.

[0296] With the configuration of the clip portion (101a), the cover portion (102) can be easily separated from and then reattached to the body portion (101).

[0297] Figure 19 is a drawing showing a cover part, which is a component of the present invention.

[0298] In detail, (a) of the above Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the cover part, and (b) of Fig. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the cover part.

[0299] The above cover part (102) is provided in an overall rectangular panel shape.

[0300] And, it has a lower cover (1021) and an upper cover (1022), and insulation can be filled between them.

[0301] A vacuum insulation panel may be attached to the inner surface of the lower cover (1021) or upper cover (1022). Then, with the vacuum insulation panel attached, an insulation material such as urethane may be foamed inside to form an insulation layer.

[0302] Additionally, a gasket (105) can be fixed to the lower portion of the lower cover (1021) to seal between the body portion (101) and the cover portion (102).

[0303] Additionally, a detection means may be installed on one side of the body part (101) and the cover part (102) to detect whether the cover part (102) is separated.

[0304] The above detection means is connected to the control unit and can detect whether the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101).

[0305] If the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101), the ice bank (130) is exposed to the outside, and the control unit confirms the opening of the ice bank (130) in real time through the detection means.

[0306] The above detection means may include various known sensors of various structures.

[0307] For example, a magnet (1023, 1033) may be installed in the cover portion (102) or the inner cover (103) described below.

[0308] And, when the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) described later is opened, a separate reed switch detects this, and the control part can control the operation of the evaporator fan to stop.

[0309] In addition, in the ice-making state, when the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) described later is opened, the control unit can control the ice-making tray to return from the open position (ice-making position) to the closed position (ice-making position).

[0310] For reference, the reed switch can detect the opening and closing of the cover part (102) in which the magnet (1023, 1033) is installed or the inner cover (103) described later by detecting a magnetic field. When the opening of the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) described later is detected, the control unit can control the operation of at least one of the evaporator fan and the condenser fan to stop, or control the rotation speed (rpm) of at least one of the fans to decrease.

[0311] Additionally, the reed switch may be installed on a front cover forming the front of the water purifier body, a side panel forming the side of the water purifier body, or a rear cover forming the rear of the water purifier body.

[0312] In addition, the reed switch can be installed in various locations, such as the ice bank (130) or ice making unit (110), dispenser unit (150), etc., which are not separated from the cover unit (102) or the inner cover (103) described below, but are maintained in a fixed state.

[0313] Additionally, the body part (101) may be provided with an inner cover (103) separately from the cover part (102).

[0314] The above cover part (102) can cover the upper side of the inner cover (103).

[0315] The inner cover (103) above maintains a state of being coupled to the body part (101) even if the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101).

[0316] Unlike the cover portion (102), the inner cover (103) must be separated from the body portion (101) and then reattached using a separate fastening means such as a screw or a tool.

[0317] For example, the internal space of the body part (101) can be divided into an ice-making space, an ice-storing space, and a cooling space.

[0318] First, the ice-making space (1011) is a space where the ice-making evaporator (252) is placed, the ice storage space (1012) is a space where the ice is made and stored, and the cooling space (1013) is a space where the refrigeration evaporator (253) that generates cold air so that the ice stored in the ice storage space (1012) is stored at a sub-zero temperature is placed.

[0319] In the case of the above ice storage space (1012), the user needs to open it to check the ice, check the internal cleanliness, wash, etc. Therefore, in the case of the ice storage space (1012), a separate inner cover is not provided, and when the cover part (102) is separated, it is immediately exposed to the outside.

[0320] On the other hand, in the case of an ice evaporator (252), a freezing evaporator (253), etc., if easily exposed, problems such as parts breaking down or the user's hand being injured may occur.

[0321] Accordingly, the ice-making space (1011) and the cooling space (1013) that accommodate the ice-making evaporator (252), the freezing evaporator (253), the evaporator fan (260), etc. have a structure in which the upper side is covered with a separate inner cover (103).

[0322] In addition, this inner cover (103) is fastened with a fastening means such as a screw so that the user cannot easily open or access it, and is configured so that it can be opened only with a separate tool.

[0323] For example, the inner cover (103) may be provided separately with an inner cover covering the ice-making space (1011) and an inner cover covering the cooling space (1013).

[0324] As another example, the inner cover (103) may be provided as one, so that the ice-making space (1011) and the cooling space (1013) may be covered at once with one inner cover (103), and may be opened at once.

[0325] Figure 18 is a drawing illustrating an inner cover, which is a component of the present invention.

[0326] In detail, (a) of the above Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the inner cover, and (b) of Fig. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the inner cover.

[0327] Referring to the drawing, the inner cover (103) covers the ice-making cover part (1031) that covers the ice-making space (1011) and the cooling cover part (1032) that covers the cooling space (1013).

[0328] The above ice-making cover part (1031) extends in the front-back direction, the above cooling cover part (1032) extends in the left-right direction, and the ice-making cover part (1031) and the cooling cover part (1032) have an overall ‘ㄱ’ shape.

[0329] The above inner cover (103) can be connected to the inner cover (111) or the like through a fastening means such as a screw or bolt.

[0330] Additionally, a sensor (1033) that detects whether the cover part (102) is open may be installed in the inner cover (103).

[0331] If the sensor (1033) detects the opening of the cover (102), the control unit can control the operation of the evaporator fan (260) to stop.

[0332] The above sensor (1033) may be equipped with a Hall sensor.

[0333] Additionally, the inner cover (103) may be provided with a swing bar (1034) on the bottom surface of the ice-making cover part (1031).

[0334] The above swing bar (1034) has a plurality of wings and is connected to a motor, etc. to swing and evenly stir the water contained in the ice tray (120).

[0335] The above body part (101) may have an overall rectangular shape when viewed from above.

[0336] In addition, an ice-making space (1011) and an ice-storage space (1012) may be arranged on the front side where the above-mentioned outlet (50) is arranged, and a cooling space (1013) may be arranged at the rear of the ice-making space (1011) and the ice-storage space (1012).

[0337] And, an ice storage space (1012) may be formed on one front side (left side as shown in FIG. 7) of the body part (101), and an ice-making space (1011) may be formed on the other front side (right side as shown in FIG. 7) of the body part (101).

[0338] At this time, the ice making space (1011) and cooling space (1013) have an overall ‘ㄱ’ shape when viewed from above.

[0339] In addition, the inner cover (103) may have an overall ‘ㄱ’ shape to simultaneously open and cover the ice-making space (1011) and the cooling space (1013).

[0340] That is, the cover part (102) can cover the ice-making space (1011), the ice-storage space (1012), and the cooling space (1013). In addition, the inner cover (103) can cover the cooling space (1013) or the ice-storage space (1012). The inner cover (103) can cover only the cooling space (1013) and only the ice-storage space (1012).

[0341] In addition, one inner cover (103) can cover the cooling space (1013) and the ice storage space (1012) at the same time, and an inner cover covering the cooling space (1013) and an inner cover covering the ice storage space (1012) can be provided separately.

[0342] In addition, the inner cover (103) is secured with a fastening means such as a screw so that the user can open it only by using a separate tool such as a screwdriver. This prevents the user from inadvertently opening the inner cover covering the refrigerating evaporator (253) or the ice-making evaporator (252), thereby preventing damage to the refrigerating evaporator (253) or the ice-making evaporator (252) or injury to the user.

[0343] On the other hand, the cover part (102) covering the ice storage space (1012) can be opened and closed by the user to clean the inside of the ice bank (130) or to take the ice bank (130) out of the inner cover (111), and thus can be opened without a separate tool. In the present invention, the cover part (102) can be easily opened and closed with a clip provided at the top of the ice storage part (110).

[0344] Meanwhile, a dispenser unit (150) is placed in front of the body unit (101) to supply ice toward the outlet (50).

[0345] All or part of the ice tray (120), ice bank (130), and auger (140) may be placed inside the above body part (101).

[0346] Additionally, a fan bracket (118) may be placed between the above-mentioned storage space (1012) and the cooling space (1013).

[0347] An evaporator fan (260) is installed on the above fan bracket (118).

[0348] By the above fan bracket (118), the ice storage space (1012) and the cooling space (1013) can be partitioned.

[0349] The above body part (101) may include an inner cover (111) and an outer cover (112).

[0350] For reference, the body part (101) may be equipped with only an inner cover (111) without an outer cover. In this case, an insulating material may be provided in the space between the inner cover (111) and the case forming the exterior of the water purifier.

[0351] Figure 17 is a drawing showing an outer cover, which is a component of the present invention.

[0352] In detail, (a) of the above Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the outer cover, and (b) of Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the outer cover.

[0353] When the outer cover (112) is provided as described above, the outer cover (112) may include a first outer cover (112a) that covers one side of the inner cover (111) and a second outer cover (112b) that covers the other side of the inner cover (112b), and the outer covers (112a, 112b) may be separated into two sides and then combined.

[0354] A space is formed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112a, 112b), and the space can be filled with an insulating material (113, see FIG. 11).

[0355] For example, the insulation material (113) can be formed by foaming polyurethane (PU foam) between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112a, 112b).

[0356] In addition, vacuum insulated panels (VIP) may be attached to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) before foaming polyurethane (PU foam).

[0357] For example, vacuum insulation panels may be attached to the inner side surfaces on both sides, a vacuum insulation panel may also be attached to the inner bottom surface, and a vacuum insulation panel may also be attached to the inner side surface on the back.

[0358] Referring to the drawing, the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) forms a generally flat surface, making it easy to attach a vacuum insulation panel.

[0359] Inside the outer cover (112a, 112b), an inner cover (111), a cold water tank (160), and a drain tank (170) are arranged, and while the inner cover (111), the cold water tank (160), and the drain tank (170) are arranged inside the outer cover (112a, 112b), a foaming liquid is sprayed to secure an insulating layer.

[0360] In addition, since cold water is stored inside the drain tank (170) or the cold water tank (160), insulation is required to prevent condensation. In this case, if the drain tank (170) or the cold water tank (160) is placed inside the outer cover (112a, 112b), insulation can be performed all at once, thereby minimizing the number of insulation components. If the drain tank (170) or the cold water tank (160) is placed outside the outer cover (112a, 112b), separate insulation is required.

[0361] In addition, the outer covers (112a, 112b) are formed with all surfaces being flat, making it easy to attach vacuum insulation panels. The outer surface of the inner cover (111) is partially curved, particularly the bottom surface. In order to attach a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) to the curved surface, the insulation material must be cut into small pieces, making the process cumbersome.

[0362] However, since most of the outer cover (112a, 112b) is flat, if a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) is attached flatly to the inner surface, the insulation can be used in a large size, thereby reducing the number of attached insulation materials.

[0363] The first outer cover (112a) and the second outer cover (112b) can be connected to each other using hooks or screws, etc. In addition, during the foaming process, the jig holds the outer covers (112a, 112b) from both sides, so they can be fixed using only hooks.

[0364] For reference, the vacuum insulated panel (VIP) has excellent insulation performance relative to its thickness, so the gap between the outer cover (112a, 112b) and the inner cover (111) can be reduced. As a result, the size of the ice making unit (110) can be reduced.

[0365] In the present invention, since the temperature of the ice bank (130) is maintained below zero, high insulation performance is required. However, if insulation is provided only with foamed urethane, the thickness of the insulation material becomes too thick and the size of the ice-making part becomes large. Therefore, a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) with good insulation performance relative to its thickness is attached to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b), and urethane is foamed into the empty space where the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) is not attached to form an insulation layer.

[0366] The vacuum insulation panel (VIP) can be fixed to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) using double-sided tape, etc. Since the urethane foaming process will fix the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) to the outer cover (112a, 112b) anyway, it can be fixed simply before foaming.

[0367] For reference, the thickness of the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) can be approximately 8 to 11 mm, and in the case of urethane, it can be formed to be 5 mm or more to ensure flowability when foaming. That is, the gap between the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) on which urethane is foamed and the inner cover (111) can be formed to be 5 mm or more.

[0368] If the flowability of urethane is not good, empty spaces that are not filled with the foaming liquid may be formed during urethane foaming.

[0369] As a prime example, a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) can be formed to a thickness of 10 mm, and PU (foamed polyurethane) can also be formed to a thickness of 10 mm.

[0370] Additionally, the bottom surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) is formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0371] In addition, the rear lower portion of the outer cover (112a, 112b) may be formed to be convex toward the rear so that the drain tank (170) can be accommodated therein.

[0372] And, an inner cover (111) is placed on the inside of the outer cover (112a, 112b), and the inner bottom surface of the inner cover (111) is also formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0373] The outer cover (112a, 112b) and the inner cover (111) above both have an open front, and the open front can be covered by the dispenser portion (150).

[0374] The inner cover (111) forms an ice-making space (1011), an ice-storing space (1012), and a cooling space (1013) on the inner side.

[0375] Additionally, an ice bank (130) may be placed on the inside of the inner cover (111).

[0376] A plurality of passage holes (131) can be formed in the above ice bank (130).

[0377] A plurality of passage holes (131) may be formed on the bottom surface, side surface, etc. of the ice bank (130), and the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed to slope downward from the front side to the rear side. In addition, the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed as a curved surface. In addition, the ice bank (130) may have a shape in which the front side is open and the rear side is closed.

[0378] In the above ice-making space (1011), an ice-making tray (120) is installed to temporarily store water to be used for ice-making. Specifically, the ice-making tray (120) is mounted on a driving motor and a rotational shaft, and is mounted so as to be rotatable around the rotational shaft.

[0379] The ice evaporator (252) may be placed on the upper side of the ice tray (120).

[0380] Ice making is performed in the ice making evaporator (252) while the above ice making tray (120) is fixed in the ice making position. Then, when ice making is completed, the ice making tray (120) rotates.

[0381] When the ice tray (120) rotates, the water contained inside the ice tray (120) falls to the lower side of the ice tray (120). The water that falls in this way is collected in the drain tank (170) through a separate path.

[0382] In addition, when water is drained from the ice tray (120), ice frozen in the ice evaporator (252) falls below the ice evaporator (252), and the fallen ice moves to the ice bank (130) and is stored.

[0383] The above ice bank (130) has an opening formed at the top, through which ice falling from the ice tray (120) can enter the interior of the ice bank (130).

[0384] In addition, the ice bank (130) is equipped with an auger (140) that rotates in one direction and pushes ice outward, and an ice discharge unit (158) is located on the outlet side of the auger (140). The ice discharge unit (158) is connected to the interior of the discharge port (50) described above, so that ice discharged by the operation of the auger (140) can be delivered to the user from the discharge port (50).

[0385] The bottom and rear surfaces of the ice bank (130) are made of a water-permeable material, or are configured so that a plurality of passage holes (131) are formed so that any water that may have entered can pass through the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) and flow out downward. The water that flows out in this way passes through the ice bank (130) and is received in the drain tank (170) located at the bottom of the inner cover (111), or is drained through a separate drain pipe.

[0386] Here, a pump for drainage may be provided in the drain pipe, or an external pump may be connected to the drain pipe to perform drainage.

[0387] In addition, a lower hole is formed in the lower part of the fan bracket (118) to allow air to flow from the ice storage space (1102) to the cooling space (1103), and an upper hole is formed in the upper part of the fan bracket (118) to allow air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) to flow to the ice storage space (1102).

[0388] In addition, the fan bracket (118) is configured to divide the ice storage space (1102) and the cooling space (1103), and an insulating material may be provided inside.

[0389] When hot gas is supplied to the ice evaporator and the freezing evaporator for ice removal, the heat of the freezing evaporator may melt the ice in the ice storage space (1102), so an insulating material is placed inside the fan bracket (118) to provide insulation between the ice storage space (1102) and the cooling space (1103).

[0390] As a variation, in a configuration of a refrigeration cycle that does not supply hot gas to the refrigeration evaporator, the inside of the fan bracket (118) may not be provided with insulation.

[0391] The above fan bracket (118) acts as a passage for air to flow between the cooling space (1103) where the refrigerant evaporator (253) is placed and the ice storage space (1102).

[0392] In addition, an evaporator fan (260) may be coupled to the rear upper portion of the fan bracket (118). The evaporator fan (260) sucks in air from the side of the freezer evaporator (253) and creates a flow of air from the lower side to the upper side. Then, the cold air that has passed through the freezer evaporator (253) is supplied to the upper side of the ice storage space (1012) through the evaporator fan (260), and accordingly, the ice stored in the ice storage space (1012) can be stored at a sub-zero temperature by the cold air.

[0393] Since cold air has the property of going down, an evaporator fan (260) is installed at the top of the refrigerated evaporator (253) to pull up the cold air generated in the refrigerated evaporator (253) and supply it to the upper side of the ice storage space (1012).

[0394] The above storage space (1012) is located adjacent to the outlet (50), and the cooling space (1103) is arranged in a direction away from the outlet (50).

[0395] Additionally, the cold water tank (160) and cold water evaporator (251) can also be placed inside the body part (101).

[0396] A separate cold water tank (160) installation space can be formed on the right side of the body part (101) (based on FIG. 9).

[0397] The cold water tank (160) may be installed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112). The cold water tank (160) may be positioned adjacent to the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) to facilitate installation of refrigerant pipes.

[0398] The above cold water tank (160) is fixed to the inner cover (111) and can be placed apart from the outer cover (112).

[0399] And, when the cold water tank (160) is installed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112), and insulation is foamed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112), the cold water tank (160) can be automatically insulated.

[0400] Figure 15 is a drawing illustrating a cold water tank, which is a component of the present invention.

[0401] In detail, (a) of the above Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a cold water tank, and (b) of Fig. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the cold water tank.

[0402] The water discharging device of the present invention has a cold water generation and discharge function. To this end, it is provided with a cold water tank (160).

[0403] The above cold water tank (160) includes a tank body (1601) that forms a cold water generation space on the inside and has one side open, and a tank cover (1602) that covers the open side of the tank body (1601).

[0404] The above tank body (1601) is formed with an inlet for introducing purified water and an outlet for discharging cold water.

[0405] And, a plurality of partition walls (1603) are formed on the inside of the tank body (1601), and a cold water evaporator (251) is arranged on the inside of the tank body (1601), and purified water flowing into the inlet is cooled through heat exchange with the cold water evaporator (251) while passing between the partition walls (1603), and then discharged through the discharge port.

[0406] Additionally, a gasket (1604) for sealing is placed between the tank body (1601) and the tank cover (1602).

[0407] The purified water flowing into the cold water tank (160) flows in stages through the paths defined by the partition walls (1603). As it flows between the partition walls (1603), it exchanges heat with the cold water evaporator (251), cools down, and becomes cold water. Then, the cooled cold water is discharged from the cold water tank (160) and supplied to the water discharge nozzle (30) according to the user's water discharge request.

[0408] Additionally, a temperature sensor (1605) for checking the cold water temperature may be installed inside the cold water tank (160).

[0409] In addition, the cold water tank (160) may further include a plurality of sealing members (1606) for sealing between the cold water evaporator (251) passing through the tank body (1601) and the tank body (1601), and may further include a sealing member (1607) for sealing between the temperature sensor (1605) passing through the tank body (1601) and the tank body (1601).

[0410] Additionally, in the water extraction device of the present invention, the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) and various valves, components, lighting, etc. can be controlled through a separate control unit. In this case, the control unit may include one or more PCBs. The control unit may operate according to a programmed algorithm.

[0411] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0412] Referring to Fig. 10, the dispenser unit (150) may include a case (151) that covers the open front of the ice making unit (110). An ice discharge port (152) through which ice is discharged is formed in the case (151).

[0413] And, the case (151) includes a first motor (153) for rotating the ice tray (120) and a second motor (154) for rotating the auger (140).

[0414] And, an auger (140) is placed at the rear of the dispenser section (150).

[0415] Additionally, a door (155) for opening and closing the ice discharge port (152) is formed on the inside of the dispenser section (150).

[0416] The above door (155) is connected to the third motor (159) and rotates forward and backward together with the rotation of the third motor (159). Then, it controls the discharge of ice that is transported forward and upward through the auger (140) and then passes through the ice discharge port (152). An ice discharge unit (158) may be arranged to guide the ice discharged through the door (155) to the discharge port (50). The ice discharge unit (158) may be understood as a means for guiding the discharge of ice.

[0417] The above-mentioned outlet (50) may be formed on the lower side of the ice discharge unit (158).

[0418] Additionally, the inside of the dispenser section (150) may be filled with insulating material.

[0419] The above insulation material is provided for insulation of the motor (153, 154, 159), etc.

[0420] In addition, a UV lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays may be installed in the dispenser unit (150) to sterilize the space through which ice passes inside the dispenser unit (150) or the ice storage space of the ice tray (130), and a full ice sensor that detects whether the ice storage space of the ice tray (130) is full may be installed.

[0421] Fig. 11 is a side view of a longitudinal cross-section of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a top view of the interior of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0422]

[0423] *Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, an ice transport grill (180) is arranged at the bottom of the ice tray (120).

[0424] The above ice transport grill (180) has a plurality of drain holes (181) on one side.

[0425] In addition, an ice bank (130) is arranged at the bottom of the ice transport grill (180) in which ice separated from ice-making water from the ice transport grill (180) is stored.

[0426] The size of the above drain hole (181) is formed to be smaller than the size of the ice that falls from the ice tray (120), so that water can be discharged and ice can be filtered through the drain hole (181).

[0427] After ice making is performed in the ice making evaporator (252), ice and residual water are contained inside the ice making tray (120).

[0428] For reference, the process by which ice is created and stored can be summarized as follows:

[0429] First, ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making tray (120) located at the bottom of the ice-making evaporator (252), and the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) is operated to create ice at the finger portion of the ice-making evaporator (252).

[0430] And, after making ice, the ice tray (120) is rotated to drain the remaining ice water, separate the ice from the fingers, and store the ice in the ice bank (130).

[0431] The above ice tray (120) rotates clockwise in the ice-making stage, as shown in FIG. 21, and when the ice tray (120) rotates, the upper inlet of the ice tray (120) faces the side or downward, and residual water is discharged through the inlet of the ice tray (120).

[0432] And, after the drainage of the residual water is completed, the ice separated from the ice evaporator (252) falls to the ice transport grill (180). And, the fallen ice moves toward the ice bank (130) along the ice transport grill (180) that is inclined downward toward the ice bank (130) and can be stored in the ice bank (130).

[0433] In addition, when ice-making is completed, the ice-making tray (120) returns to its original position (ice-making position). At this time, the ice-making tray (120) rotates counterclockwise with reference to Fig. 21. Then, when the upper inlet of the ice-making tray (120) is positioned so that it faces upward, the ice-making tray (120) stops for ice-making operation and receives water for ice-making.

[0434] Meanwhile, water that falls from the ice tray (120) to the ice transport grill (180) falls to the lower part of the ice transport grill (180) through the drain (181) of the ice transport grill (180).

[0435] As described above, water that falls to the bottom of the ice transport grill (180) is drained through a separate pipe.

[0436] And, the water drained as described above is collected in the drain tank (170) located at the bottom of the ice making unit (110) through a separate path.

[0437] The above drain tank (170) may be positioned at the rearmost position. In addition, the bottom surface of the ice making unit (110) may be formed to slope downward from the front to the rear as a whole. In particular, the bottom surface of the inner cover (111) and the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0438] Accordingly, the water generated in the ice making unit (110) and requiring drainage, including the ice making residual water, flows from the front where the height is high to the rear where the height is low along the bottom surface of the inner cover (111), and is discharged through the drain pipe (119) provided at the lowest end of the inner cover (111), and can then be stored in the drain tank (170) connected to the drain pipe (119).

[0439] Figure 16 is a drawing illustrating a drain tank, which is a component of the present invention.

[0440] In detail, Fig. 16 (a) is a perspective view of the drain tank, and Fig. 16 (b) is an exploded perspective view of the drain tank.

[0441] Referring to FIG. 16, the drain tank (170) includes a tank body (171) having an open top and forming a water collection space (1711) on the inside, and a tank cover (172) covering the open upper side of the tank body (171).

[0442] And, a connecting pipe (1721) to which the drain pipe (119) is connected is formed on the tank cover (1722). And, a groove (1722) is formed concavely downward around the connecting pipe (1721), and a sealing member (173) is accommodated in the groove (1722) for sealing the drain pipe (119) and the connecting pipe (1721).

[0443] For example, the sealing member (173) has a ring shape, and the upper end of the connecting pipe (1721) can be fitted into the hollow portion of the sealing member (173). In addition, the sealing member (173) has a ring groove (1731) formed concavely downward along the circumference, and the lower end of the drain pipe (119) can be fitted into the ring groove (1731).

[0444] Additionally, a drain pipe (1712) for drainage is formed in the tank body (171).

[0445] In addition, the above drain pipe (1712) can be connected to a separate drain pipe.

[0446] A sealing member (174) may be provided to seal the drain pipe (1712) and the drain pipe. A ring groove (1741) is formed in the sealing member (174) to accommodate the lower end of the drain pipe (1712), and the drain pipe may be fitted into the hollow portion of the sealing member (174).

[0447] Additionally, a gasket (175) for sealing may be placed between the joint of the tank body (171) and the tank cover (172).

[0448] Meanwhile, as described above, the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0449] In detail, the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) can be formed to slope downward in the direction in which the ice is extracted.

[0450] Therefore, the ice that has fallen into the ice bank (130) is first filled in the lower rear part of the ice bank (130) along the slope.

[0451] And, ice is stored from the bottom of the ice bank (130), so that the maximum amount of ice can be stored inside the ice bank (130).

[0452] In addition, when a freezing evaporator (253) is placed at the rear of the ice bank (130), ice can be stored at the rear of the ice bank (130) adjacent to the freezing evaporator (253), and there is also an advantage in that the ice can be stored at a lower temperature as the temperature is lowered further by the freezing evaporator (253).

[0453] In addition, when the water extraction device of the present invention is viewed from the front, the ice bank (130) and the ice tray (120) can be arranged in the left and right directions. In detail, the ice bank (130) can be arranged on the left side, and the ice tray (120) can be arranged on the right side.

[0454] In addition, when the water extraction device of the present invention is viewed from the front, the ice bank (130) and the refrigerated evaporator (253) can be arranged in the front-back direction. In detail, the ice bank (130) can be positioned at the front, and the refrigerated evaporator (253) can be arranged at the rear.

[0455] To this end, the internal space of the ice making unit (110) may be provided with a partition wall that divides the space where the ice bank (130) is formed and the space where the refrigeration evaporator (253) is installed.

[0456] The above bulkhead can be understood as a fan bracket (118).

[0457] That is, the fan bracket (118) can serve as a partition wall that divides the space where the ice bank (130) is formed and the space where the refrigeration evaporator (253) is installed.

[0458] The water extraction device of the present invention includes an ice tray (120) and an ice evaporator (252) that freezes water filled in the ice tray (120).

[0459] And, the ice tray (120) has a rotation axis and rotates around the rotation axis.

[0460] The rotation axis of the above ice tray (120) is connected to a motor.

[0461] The above motor is a bidirectional motor and may be equipped with, for example, a stepping motor.

[0462] The above motor can rotate the ice tray (120) to one side and then to the other side.

[0463] In the following description, the ice-making position refers to a position where the ice-making tray (120) is fixed and does not move in the ice-making state. The ice-making position may refer to the position of the ice-making tray (120) in the standby state.

[0464] Additionally, one side of the ice tray (120) can be rotatably connected to the fan bracket (118).

[0465] Additionally, the ice tray (120) may be provided so that it can be detached separately.

[0466] In addition, a micro switch is provided to detect the rotation angle of the ice tray (120), and a rib that contacts the micro switch according to the rotation angle may be formed on at least one component that is connected to the rotation axis of the ice tray (120) or the rotation axis of the ice tray (120) and rotates together with the ice tray (120) when the ice tray (120) rotates.

[0467] In addition, the ice tray (120) is equipped with a water guide structure that guides the remaining water to flow in one direction when discarding the remaining water after ice making.

[0468] As described above, if the remaining water in the ice tray (120) flows in one direction, the phenomenon of the remaining water from the ice being drawn into the ice bank (130) where ice is stored can be prevented.

[0469] Figure 13 is a drawing illustrating a fan bracket, which is a component of the present invention.

[0470] In detail, (a) of Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the fan bracket, and (b) of Fig. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the fan bracket.

[0471] Referring to Fig. 13, a fan bracket (118) is installed on the inside of the ice making unit (110).

[0472] The fan bracket (118) may include an evaporator fan (260) installed on the upper side of the fan bracket (118) and a dividing wall (1186) formed on the lower side to divide the installation space of the ice bank (130) and the installation space of the refrigerated evaporator (253).

[0473] A plurality of ventilation holes (118a) may be formed on the upper side of the fan bracket (118) to allow air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) to pass through.

[0474] The upper side of the fan bracket (118) may have a grill shape due to the plurality of ventilation holes (118a).

[0475] Accordingly, when the evaporator fan (260) operates, the cold air of the refrigerated evaporator (253) flows upward by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260), passes through the evaporator fan (260), and the cold air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) passes through the ventilation hole (118a) and is supplied to the internal space of the ice bank (130).

[0476] And, due to the nature of cold air, cold air passing through the ventilation hole (118a) flows downward and freezes the ice stored in the ice bank (130).

[0477] And, the cold air of the ice bank (130) flows downward to the refrigeration evaporator (253) by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260).

[0478] For this purpose, a passage (118b) is formed at the bottom of the fan bracket (118) to connect the bottom of the ice storage space (1012) and the bottom of the cooling space (1013).

[0479] That is, a plurality of passages (118b) are formed on the lower side of the fan bracket (118) so that the cold air of the ice bank (130) flows toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0480] In addition, the user's hand may be injured when it enters the cooling space (1013) where the refrigerant evaporator (253) is installed through the space between the bottom of the fan bracket (118) and the bottom surface of the inner cover (111).

[0481] Accordingly, the passage (118b) may be formed in a grill shape or a rake shape and may serve to block the space between the lower part of the fan bracket (118) and the bottom surface of the inner cover (111).

[0482] Additionally, although the air outlet and air inlet are formed vertically in one fan bracket (118), in another embodiment, the air outlet and air inlet may be formed separately in two fan brackets (118) arranged vertically.

[0483] And, the cold air flowing downward from the above-mentioned refrigerated evaporator (253) flows upward by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260), becomes colder as it passes through the refrigerated evaporator (253), and is supplied to the internal space of the ice bank (130) by passing through the evaporator fan (260) and the ventilation hole (118a) again.

[0484] The lower part of the above fan bracket (118) is formed in a grill shape so that cold air from the ice bank (130) can flow toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0485]

[0486] *The rear side of the ice bank (130) can be arranged parallel to the separating wall (1186) of the fan bracket (118).

[0487] And, the cold air of the ice bank (130) can pass through the passage hole (131) formed on the bottom surface and the rear surface of the ice bank (130) and pass through the passage (118b) of the fan bracket (118) and then flow toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0488] The above fan bracket (118) may include a front member (118c) and a rear member (118d). Insulating material may be provided in the space (S) between them.

[0489] The above front member (118c) is positioned relatively forward compared to the rear member (118d), and a ventilation hole (118a), a separation wall (1186), and a passage (118b) can be formed.

[0490] A connecting portion (1189) may be formed on one or both upper sides of the front member (118c) so as to extend outward, hang over the upper side of the ice making unit (110), and be connected to the upper side of the ice making unit (110).

[0491] The rear member (118d) is positioned relatively rearwardly relative to the front member (118c) and forms an installation opening (1187) in which the evaporator fan (260) is installed. The installation opening (1187) may be formed at a position facing the ventilation hole (118a). In addition, an extension portion (1188) extending rearward along the perimeter of the installation opening (1187) may be formed, and the extension portion (1188) may cover the perimeter of the evaporator fan (260).

[0492] In addition, the fan bracket (118) may optionally be equipped with a full ice sensor (301) that detects whether the ice stored in the ice bank (130) is full, a UV lamp (302) that sterilizes the ice storage space of the ice bank (130) by irradiating ultraviolet rays, and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the ice storage space of the ice bank (130).

[0493] The above evaporator fan (260) may be placed in an upright position, i.e., with the rotation axis of the evaporator fan (260) facing forward and backward. If the distance between the evaporator fan (260) and the refrigerated evaporator (253) is too close, frost may form on the evaporator fan (260), preventing the evaporator fan (260) from operating properly. In order to secure a gap between the evaporator fan (260) and the refrigerated evaporator (253), the evaporator fan (260) needs to be placed upright rather than lying down.

[0494] In addition, a PCB case having a built-in PCB may be installed at the rear of the fan bracket (118), specifically, at the rear of the separating wall (1186). The PCB case may be placed at the bottom of the evaporator fan (260).

[0495] Additionally, at least a portion of the fan bracket (118) may have an insulating material attached to it, or an insulating layer may be formed inside it.

[0496] Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a part of a refrigerant compression cycle device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0497] Referring to FIG. 14, the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) of the present invention includes an ice evaporator (252) having a plurality of fingers (252a) immersed in an ice tray (120), a refrigerant evaporator (253) having a plurality of heat exchange fins (2531) and having a heat absorption function, and an accumulator (2924). In addition, a separate heater (2532) for defrosting may be installed on the heat exchange fins (2531) of the refrigerant evaporator (253).

[0498] At this time, the refrigerant pipe may include a refrigerant pipe (2921) that supplies refrigerant to the ice-making evaporator (252), a refrigerant pipe (2922) that supplies refrigerant that has passed through the ice-making evaporator (252) to the freezing evaporator (253), and a refrigerant pipe (2923) that supplies refrigerant that has passed through the freezing evaporator (253) to the compressor side.

[0499] Since the operating principles of each component have been known for a long time, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0500] Figure 20 is a drawing showing the position of the ice tray step by step during the rotation operation of the ice tray.

[0501] In the present invention, when discarding ice residue from the ice tray after ice making is completed, the first motor (153) is controlled so that the water remaining in the ice tray (120) is not discarded all at once, but rather is discarded in several stages.

[0502] Figure 21 (a) shows the ice tray (120) stopped at the ice making position.

[0503] At this time, the micro switch detects whether the ice tray (120) is in the ice making position.

[0504] Figure 24 (b) is a drawing showing the state in which the ice tray (120) is rotated for the first time from the ice-making position.

[0505] At this time, after the first rotation, the ice tray (120) may temporarily stop rotating.

[0506] And, first, the water in the ice tray (120) is drained.

[0507] For example, the control unit can control the first motor (153) to stop operation when it operates for a set period of time using a timer or the like, and control it to wait while maintaining the stopped state for the set period of time.

[0508] As another example, the first motor (153) is provided as a step motor, and the control unit detects the rotation amount or rotation angle of the first motor (153), calculates the rotation amount or rotation angle of the ice tray (120) according to the operation of the first motor (153), and when the calculated rotation amount or rotation angle reaches a preset angle, controls the operation of the first motor to stop, and controls it to wait while maintaining the stopped state for a preset time.

[0509] Figure 24 (c) is a drawing showing the ice tray (120) in a second rotation state.

[0510] At this time, after the second rotation, the ice tray (120) may temporarily stop rotating.

[0511] And, secondarily, water from the ice tray (120) is drained.

[0512] For example, the control unit can control the first motor (153) to stop operation when it operates for a set period of time using a timer or the like, and control it to wait while maintaining the stopped state for the set period of time.

[0513] As another example, the first motor (153) is provided as a step motor, and the control unit detects the rotation amount or rotation angle of the first motor (153), calculates the rotation amount or rotation angle of the ice tray (120) according to the operation of the first motor (153), and when the calculated rotation amount or rotation angle reaches a preset angle, controls the operation of the first motor to stop, and controls it to wait while maintaining the stopped state for a preset time.

[0514] Figure 24 (d) is a drawing showing the ice tray (120) in a state of maximum rotation (third rotation state).

[0515] The state at this time can be understood as the ice tray (120) being fully open.

[0516] At this time, after the third rotation, the ice tray (120) may temporarily stop rotating.

[0517] And, thirdly, the water in the ice tray (120) is completely drained.

[0518] At this time, the micro switch detects whether the ice tray (120) is in the maximum open position.

[0519] And, when the draining is completed, hot gas is supplied to the ice evaporator (252) or a heater separately installed in the ice evaporator (252) is operated to separate the ice from the fingers of the ice evaporator (252) and cause the ice to fall.

[0520] Then, the fallen ice moves along the ice transport grill (180) to the ice bank (130) and is stored.

[0521] When all the ice is removed, the ice tray (120) returns to its original position (ice making position) as shown in (a) of Fig. 24.

[0522] As described above, in the ice-making step, if the ice tray (120) stops and waits at least once and then rotates to the ice-making position, the ice-making residual water can be drained in stages compared to when it rotates directly from the ice-making position to the ice-making position. In addition, if a large amount of ice-making residual water is drained at once, the water may splash and flow into the ice bank, but if the drainage is performed in stages as described above, since a small amount of water is drained in stages, the phenomenon of water splashing is improved and water does not flow into the ice bank.

[0523] Figure 21 is a drawing illustrating an assembly process of a water extraction device according to the present invention.

[0524] Referring to Fig. 21, first, an inner cover (111) is provided.

[0525] The inner cover (111) forms an ice-making space (1011), an ice-storing space (1012), and a cooling space (1013) on the inner side.

[0526] And, the top is open.

[0527] And, an ice discharge port (1111) is formed in the front through which ice is discharged, and a refrigerant pipe groove (1112) is formed concavely from the top to the bottom through which a refrigerant pipe passes in the rear.

[0528] And, the floor surface is formed to slope downward from the front side to the rear side.

[0529] Additionally, a line heater (114) can be combined with the inner cover (111).

[0530] For example, a total of two line heaters (114) may be assembled. The line heaters (114) may be provided to prevent condensation.

[0531] Afterwards, a drain tank (170) is attached to the lower rear portion of the inner cover (111).

[0532] At this time, the drain pipe (119) of the inner cover (111) and the connection pipe (1721) of the drain tank (170) are connected, so that water discharged through the drain pipe (119) of the inner cover (111) can be collected in the drain tank (170) through the connection pipe (1721).

[0533] Afterwards, a cold water tank (160) is assembled on the lower side (lower right side in the drawing) of the inner cover (111).

[0534] At this time, a cold water evaporator (251) may be assembled in the cold water tank (160).

[0535] The inner cover (111) above has a lower portion sunken inward from the upper portion on one side (right side in the drawing) to form a sunken portion (1113).

[0536] The upper part of the inner cover (111) is formed to have a wider width (left-right width based on the drawing) than the lower part to secure a space for installing the ice evaporator (252) and ice tray (120), i.e., an ice-making space.

[0537] On the other hand, the lower space of the ice making space does not need to be wide, and since the installation of a cold water tank (160) is required, a recessed portion (1113) is formed at the lower end of the inner cover (111), and the cold water tank (160) is assembled and installed at the outer lower end of the inner cover (111).

[0538] Structurally, it can be understood that a cold water tank (160) is placed at the bottom of the ice making space.

[0539] And, the outer cover (112) is assembled. The outer cover (112) may include a first outer cover (112a) that covers one side of the inner cover (111) and a second outer cover (112b) that covers the other side of the inner cover (112b), and the outer covers (112a, 112b) may be separated into two sides and then combined.

[0540] The outer cover (112) is open at the front to form an opening (1121). And, through the opening (1121), the front of the inner cover (111) is exposed.

[0541] The outer cover (112) above is formed with a refrigerant pipe groove (1122) concave from top to bottom to allow a refrigerant pipe to pass through the rear.

[0542] Then, the case (151) of the dispenser part (150) is assembled to cover the opening (1121) of the outer cover (112).

[0543] An ice discharge port (152) through which ice is discharged is formed in the above case (151).

[0544] The above ice discharge port (152) is formed at a position facing the above ice discharge port (1111) and is in communication with each other, and ice that passes through the ice discharge port (1111) of the inner cover (111) can pass through the ice discharge port (152).

[0545] For example, the case (151) forms an extension wall extending rearward along the perimeter of the ice discharge port (151), and the extension wall can pass through the ice discharge port (1111).

[0546] Accordingly, the ice in the ice bank (130) can pass through the ice discharge port (1111) of the inner cover (111) and the ice discharge port (152) of the case (151) at the same time.

[0547] Meanwhile, when the opening (1121) of the outer cover (1120) is covered as described above, a space is formed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112a, 112b), and the space can be filled with insulating material.

[0548] For example, the insulation material may be formed by foaming polyurethane (PU foam) between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112a, 112b).

[0549] In addition, vacuum insulated panels (VIP) may be attached to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) before foaming polyurethane (PU foam).

[0550] For example, vacuum insulation panels may be attached to the inner side surfaces on both sides, a vacuum insulation panel may also be attached to the inner bottom surface, and a vacuum insulation panel may also be attached to the inner side surface on the back.

[0551] And, as described above, a vacuum insulation panel may be attached to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b), or a vacuum insulation panel may be attached to the outer surface of the inner cover (111), and then polyurethane (PU foam) may be foamed to secure an insulation layer between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112a, 112b).

[0552] At this time, the thickness of the vacuum insulation panel and the thickness of the foamed urethane can be separately selected for each simulator within a range where condensation does not occur on the surface of the product, and the thickness of the vacuum insulation panel and the thickness of the foamed urethane can be applied differently for each location.

[0553] When the insulation material is filled between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112a, 112b) as described above, the remaining parts of the dispenser unit (150) are assembled into the case (151).

[0554] First, assemble the door (155) that opens and closes the ice outlet (152).

[0555] The above door (155) rotates forward and backward and prevents the discharge of ice that is transported forward and upward through the auger (140) and then passes through the ice discharge port (152).

[0556] Then, the auger shaft connected to the auger (141) and the second motor (154) that rotates the auger shaft are assembled.

[0557] And, a micro switch that detects the ice-making position and the ice-removing position of the ice-making tray (120) is assembled.

[0558] Then, a tray shaft connected to the ice tray (120) and a first motor (153) that rotates the tray shaft are assembled.

[0559] Then, assemble a valve that controls the discharge of water. The valve may be a solenoid valve using an electromagnet.

[0560] In addition, a UV lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays for sterilization of at least one of the ice bank (130), the dispenser section (150), or the outlet (50) is installed, and a full ice sensor that detects whether the ice bank (130) is full is also installed.

[0561] Then, a reed switch that detects the opening of the cover part (102) or inner cover (103) is assembled.

[0562] For example, a magnet is coupled to the cover portion (102) or the inner cover (103), respectively, and the reed switch can detect whether the cover portion (102) or the inner cover (103) is open by detecting whether the magnet is close.

[0563] Afterwards, a refrigerant valve that controls the flow of refrigerant is assembled. The valve may be a solenoid valve using an electromagnet.

[0564] In addition, an ice discharge unit (158) that guides ice discharged through the door (155) to the discharge port (50) can be assembled. The ice discharge unit (158) can be understood as a means for guiding the discharge of ice and covering various parts.

[0565] The above-mentioned outlet (50) may be formed on the lower side of the ice discharge unit (158).

[0566] Additionally, the inside of the dispenser section (150) may be filled with insulating material.

[0567] The above insulation material is provided for insulation of the motor (153, 154), etc.

[0568] Afterwards, when the entire assembly of the dispenser unit (150) is completed, the evaporator is installed.

[0569]

[0570] *The ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are assembled, and the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) can be assembled by pushing them from the upper side to the lower side of the inner cover (111).

[0571] At this time, a refrigerant pipe bracket (256) is fitted into the refrigerant pipe groove (1112, 1122), and two refrigerant pipe passage holes can be formed in the refrigerant pipe bracket (256) through which a refrigerant pipe flowing toward the ice-making evaporator (252) and a refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant discharged from the freezing evaporator (253) flows pass.

[0572] In addition, an evaporator bracket (255) that fixes the tip of the ice evaporator (252) to the inner surface can be assembled on the front side of the inner cover (111). The evaporator bracket (255) can restrict movement of the ice evaporator (252) while coming into contact with at least one surface of the ice evaporator (252).

[0573] Afterwards, the above fan bracket (118) is assembled.

[0574] The above fan bracket (118) can also be assembled by pushing it from the upper side to the lower side of the inner cover (111).

[0575] The above fan bracket (118) may be assembled with the evaporator fan (260).

[0576] In this way, the internal space of the inner cover (111) can be divided into a storage space located in front of the fan bracket (118) and a cooling space located in the rear of the fan bracket (118) and in which a refrigeration evaporator (253) is arranged.

[0577] In the case of the present invention as described above, when assembling the product, the cold water tank (160) and the drain tank (170) requiring insulation are assembled to the inner cover (111), and then an insulation layer is formed, so that even without providing separate insulation material for the cold water tank (160) and the drain tank (170) as well as the ice storage space, there is an advantage in that the cold water tank (160) and the drain tank (170) can have an insulation effect together.

[0578] In addition, there is an advantage in that the inner cover and outer cover, which serve as an ice storage, are assembled in an up-down or left-right direction and assembled from the front to the rear with the case (151) of the dispenser section (150) to form the front part, making assembly easy.

[0579] In addition, there is an advantage in that the insulation thickness of the ice making unit (110) can be minimized by using a vacuum insulation panel and foam PU insulation at the same time.

[0580] In addition, by attaching the vacuum insulation panel to the inner surface of the outer cover of the flat shape, the number of vacuum insulation panels can be minimized, and by minimizing the number of vacuum insulation panels, there is also the advantage of reducing cost and attachment work man-hours.

[0581] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0582] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A body part with a space formed inside and an open top; A cover portion detachably coupled to the upper end of the body portion to cover the open upper side of the body portion; An ice tray arranged on the inside of the above body and filled with water for ice making; An ice bank disposed inside the body and lower than the ice tray, wherein ice separated from the ice tray is stored; A water extraction device comprising a cooling means including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an ice-making evaporator into which refrigerant passing through the expansion valve is introduced and provided for cooling purified water filled in the ice-making tray, and a freezing evaporator into which refrigerant passing through the expansion valve is introduced and provided for freezing ice stored in the ice bank.

2. In paragraph 1, The internal space of the above body part is, An ice-making space formed on an upper side of the body portion and in which the ice-making tray is placed; An ice storage space formed on the lower side of the other side of the body part to store ice; A water discharge device including a cooling space formed at the rear of the ice making space or ice storage space and in which the refrigerating evaporator is placed.

3. In paragraph 2, An inner cover covering the upper part of the ice making space and the cooling space is combined at the upper part of the above body part, The above cover part is a discharge device that covers the upper side of the inner cover.

4. In paragraph 2, A fan bracket is arranged in the space of the above body part to divide the ice storage space and the ice making space, An exhaust device having an evaporator fan installed on the upper side of the fan bracket to discharge cold air from the refrigerated evaporator to the upper side of the ice storage space.

5. In paragraph 4, A water outlet device having a passage formed at the bottom of the fan bracket to connect the bottom of the ice storage space and the bottom of the cooling space.

6. In paragraph 1, The above body part, An inner cover having a space formed on the inside and an open top, wherein the ice bank is accommodated; A discharge device including an outer cover formed to cover an outer surface of the inner cover.

7. In paragraph 6, A plurality of vacuum insulation panels are attached to the inner surface of the outer cover. A water discharge device that forms an insulation layer by foaming and injecting insulation material between the outer cover and the inner cover while a vacuum insulation panel is attached to the inner surface of the outer cover.

8. In paragraph 6, The inner cover above forms a recessed portion formed inwardly at the bottom of one side, A water outlet device in which a cold water tank that cools purified water with cold water is combined in the above-mentioned one molten part.

9. In paragraph 8, A water discharge device having a cold water evaporator installed inside the cold water tank into which refrigerant passing through the expansion valve flows.

10. In paragraph 6, The bottom surface of the inner cover is formed to slope downward from the front to the rear, A drainage device having a drain pipe formed at the lowest part of the inner cover.

11. In paragraph 10, The lower part of the above drain pipe is connected to the drain tank, A water discharge device in which water discharged through the above drain pipe is stored in the above drain tank.

12. In paragraph 6, The above outer cover includes a first outer cover covering one side of the above inner cover, and a second outer cover covering the other side of the above inner cover, and the first outer cover and the second outer cover are separated into two sides and then combined.

13. In paragraph 1, The above ice bank is a discharge device that forms a plurality of passage holes on the bottom surface and the rear surface to allow cold air or water to pass through.

14. In paragraph 1, A water discharge device in which the front of the body part is at least partially open, and a dispenser part having an outlet formed at the front of the body part through which ice is discharged is combined.

15. In paragraph 14, An ice discharge port is formed in the above body part through which ice stored in the ice bank is discharged, An ice outlet device formed in the above dispenser section that communicates with the ice outlet.

16. In paragraph 14, A water discharge device including a door that opens and closes the ice discharge port while rotating in the forward and backward directions in the above dispenser section.

17. In paragraph 16, An ice discharge device formed in the above dispenser section, wherein the door is opened and an ice discharge portion is formed to guide ice passing through the ice discharge outlet to a discharge outlet formed below.

18. In paragraph 14, An auger is installed inside the ice bank to push the ice outward while rotating in one direction.

19. In paragraph 18, A water discharge device having a first motor connected to the rotation shaft of the ice tray and rotating the ice tray, and a second motor connected to the rotation shaft of the auger and rotating the auger, installed in the above dispenser section.

20. In paragraph 1, The above ice tray and the above ice bank are arranged in the first direction, The above ice bank and the above refrigerated evaporator are the water discharge devices arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

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