KR100286038B1 - Air Damper of Dispenser for Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An air damper of dispenser for refrigerator is provided to be easily manufactured at inexpensive cost. CONSTITUTION: An air damper(71) delays rotation of a working lever, opening and closing an opening and closing cover, rotating to open and close an ice outlet, and includes a damper cylinder(73); a damper piston(79); a damper connecting rod(74); and an opening and closing device. The damper cylinder is cylindrical and has an air intake passage(80) formed on one side thereof to fluidically connect an inside and an outside. The damper piston slides reciprocatingly in the damper cylinder. The damper connecting rod interacts with the working lever to slide the damper piston. The opening and closing device is interlocked with sliding of the damper piston to open and close the air intake passage and includes an opening and closing ball(89); a pair of detachment preventing parts(85); and an air outlet(97). The opening and closing ball is movably placed inside the air intake passage. The detachment preventing parts are formed with a flowing space of the opening and closing ball in the air intake passage between themselves to face with each other and interact with the opening and closing ball to intermit inflow of air from outside.

Description

Air Damper of Dispenser for Refrigerator

The present invention relates to an air damper of a dispenser for refrigerators, and more particularly, to an air damper of a refrigerator dispenser that can be easily manufactured, and in particular, to reduce the unit cost of the product by localization.

Among the refrigerators in recent years, the so-called side-by-side type refrigerators having cooling chambers partitioned from side to side have also been proposed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in these figures, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator main body 1 having a freezer compartment 3 and a refrigerating compartment 5 partitioned from side to side with an intermediate partition 2 interposed therebetween and a refrigerator main body 1 of the refrigerator main body 1. It is provided on the front surface and has the freezing chamber door 7 and the refrigerating chamber door 9 which rotate and open and close the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerating compartment 5.

In the upper region of the refrigerating compartment 5, a plurality of shelves 10 are installed along the vertical direction to divide and divide the space in the refrigerating compartment 5, and the lower region of the refrigerating compartment 5 can store and store vegetables and fruits. A plurality of storage drawers 12 are provided. On the rear side of these drawers 12, a water storage tank (not shown) is installed to store water.

An ice making tray 13 for ice making is installed in an upper region of the freezing compartment 3, and an ice storage container 15 is provided below the ice making tray 13 to store ice that has been de-iced from the ice making tray 13. ) Is provided. The lower portion of the ice storage container 15 is formed with an ice outlet 17 which is opened downward. And, the ice supply device 21 for discharging the ice stored in the ice storage container through the ice outlet 17 is installed.

On the other hand, in the central region of the freezing chamber door 7 is equipped with a water storage tank provided in the refrigerating chamber 5 and a dispenser 31 for providing cold water or ice from the ice storage container 15 provided in the freezing chamber 3. The dispenser 31 is provided with an unshown cold water discharge port for discharging cold water and an ice discharge port 33 corresponding to the ice outlet 17 of the ice storage container 15, and a pair of unshown openings for selectively opening them. An action lever is provided. The ice discharge port 33 is provided with an opening / closing cover (not shown), which will be described later in detail with respect to the description of the embodiment according to the present invention, which opens the opening surface in such a manner that the opening surface can be opened.

By such a configuration, when the working lever providing the ice is selected and pressed from the pair of working levers provided in the dispenser 31, the opening / closing cover closing the ice discharge port 33 is opened. At this time, a detection signal is sent to a controller (not shown) from the sensor (not shown) that detects the selection of the actuating lever, and the controller applying the same activates the ice supply device (21). Then, the ice falls down through the ice outlet 17 of the ice storage container 15, these ice is supplied to the outside through the ice discharge port 33 of the dispenser (31). As a result, the user can be provided with ice in the freezing chamber without the freezing chamber door 7 being opened.

On the other hand, in the dispenser 31 of the refrigerator, the opening and closing of the opening and closing cover is simply made by pressing the action lever a predetermined amount, but in the case of releasing the pressurization of the action lever after receiving the ice, the opening and closing cover rotates in the closing direction. Noise is generated by the mutual contact between the ice discharge port 33. In particular, the opening and closing cover is to maintain the air tightness of the freezing compartment (3) in the closing direction to prevent the heat loss acts, thereby causing severe noise during the closing rotation of the opening and closing cover. Accordingly, the dispenser 31 is provided with an air damper for delaying rotation of the opening / closing cover in the closing direction.

By the way, the air damper of the conventional refrigerator dispenser has a problem that manufacturing is difficult due to the necessity of precise processing and manufacturing in its configuration. In particular, for this reason, production is not made domestically and relying on imports from foreign countries, which is a factor that increases the production cost of the device.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an air damper of a refrigerator dispenser, which can be easily manufactured at a low price, in particular, in consideration of these problems in the related art, so as to lower the production cost of the device through localization.

1 is a front view of a door open state of a refrigerator equipped with an air damper of a dispenser,

2 is a side cross-sectional view of the door closed state of FIG.

3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a refrigerator equipped with an air damper of a refrigerator dispenser according to the present invention;

4 and 5 are side cross-sectional views of the assembled state of FIG. 3, showing the opening and closing states of the ice discharge port of the dispenser, respectively.

6 is a front view of FIG. 4,

7 and 8 are side cross-sectional views showing the operating state of the air damper of the refrigerator dispenser according to the present invention,

9 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view of FIG.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

15: ice container 17: ice outlet

21: ice supply device 27: dispenser housing

31: dispenser 33: ice discharge outlet

35: front panel 38: supply unit

41: opening and closing part 45: opening and closing cover

55: working lever 56: pressing plate

58: acting portion 71: air damper

73: damper cylinder 74: damper connecting rod

75 cap member 77 cylinder body

79: damper piston 80: air suction passage

81: damper connecting rod 82: inner passage

83: outer passage 84: receiving portion

85: outside escape prevention part 89: opening and closing

92: inside separation prevention part 97: air outlet

The object is, according to the present invention, is mounted to the dispenser having an opening and closing cover capable of rotating and opening the ice discharge port opening in the refrigerator door, and a working lever capable of rotating the opening and closing position of the opening and closing cover, the working lever An air damper for delaying rotation of a damper, comprising: a damper cylinder having a cylindrical shape and having an air suction passage communicating with one another inside and outside; A damper piston capable of sliding reciprocating in the damper cylinder; A damper connecting rod for sliding the damper piston by interacting with the action lever; It is achieved by an air damper, characterized in that it comprises an opening and closing means for opening and closing the air suction passage in conjunction with the sliding of the damper piston.

Here, the opening and closing means, the opening and closing port having a predetermined cross-sectional diameter that is movably received in the air suction passage; A pair of departure prevention parts provided in the air suction passage so as to face each other with the flow space of the opening and closing, and intermittent with the opening and closing to intercept air inflow from the outside; An air outlet allowing the outflow of air in the cylinder; The outer departure preventing portion may be configured to have a predetermined shaft diameter with respect to the reference cross-sectional diameter of the air suction passage, and the inner departure preventing portion may be simply configured to have a short radius portion and a long radius portion predetermined diameter with respect to the reference cross-sectional diameter of the air suction passage. .

At this time, the outer release preventing portion is sealed by the opening and closing opening during the compression stroke of the damper cylinder, and the inner release preventing portion is blocked by the opening and closing opening during the expansion stroke of the damper cylinder and is introduced into the long radius portion. Will be allowed.

The air outlet may be formed to be recessed in at least one inner diameter surface of the outer detachment preventing portion or may be formed inwardly in a sliding direction on at least one outer diameter surface of the damper piston.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a refrigerator equipped with an air damper of the refrigerator dispenser according to the present invention, Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the assembled state of Figure 3, respectively showing the opening and closing state of the ice discharge port of the dispenser 6 is a front view of FIG. 4.

As can be seen in these figures, the freezing chamber door 7 receives water and ice from the water storage tank provided in the refrigerating chamber 5 and the ice storage container 15 provided in the freezing chamber 3 in the central region of the door shell. The dispenser opening 25 is formed to penetrate the plate surface so that the dispenser 31 to be provided may be coupled thereto. The dispenser accommodating part 27 which protrudes toward the freezing chamber 3 side is formed in the center area | region of the door inner board corresponding to this dispenser opening 25, and the ice storage container 15 at the upper end of the dispenser accommodating part 27. The through hole corresponding to the ice outlet 17 of is formed.

On the other hand, the dispenser 31 is mounted on the dispenser accommodating portion 27 formed in the freezing chamber door 7 and has a dispenser casing 32 having an ice outlet 17 and an ice discharge port 33 communicating with the through hole. It consists of the opening-and-closing part 41 which opens and closes the opening surface of the ice outlet 17 of the casing 32, and the front plate 35 fixedly attached to the front surface of the dispenser casing 32. As shown in FIG. Opening and closing portion 41, the opening and closing cover 45 capable of rotating and opening the ice discharge port 33, the actuating lever 55 for opening and closing the opening and closing cover 45, and the opening and closing cover 45 to delay the rotation of the closing direction It has an air damper 71. The front plate 35 is provided with an operation unit 37 for operating. In the central region of the dispenser casing 32, a supply portion 38 is provided which exposes one side of the actuating lever 55, that is, the pressing plate 56, so that it can be pressed. The ice discharge port 33 is formed in the upper part of this supply part 38.

On the other hand, the opening and closing cover 45 is a disc-shaped opening and closing body 46 is coupled to the front surface of the ice discharge port 33, the membrane-type silicon is coupled to the end surface of the ice discharge port 33 side of the opening and closing body 46 The member 48 and the heat insulation member 47 of the circular cross section couple | bonded with the exposed side end surface of the opening-closing main body 46 are provided.

Opening and closing body 46 is a cylindrical plug portion 49 is inserted into the inner diameter portion of the ice discharge port 33, the flange portion extending radially from the plug portion 49 in contact with the front edge of the ice discharge port 33 Has 50. One side of the flange portion 50 has a pair of extension ribs 51 protruding from the outer circumferential surface so as to be hinged to the hinge bracket 61 coupled to the upper region of the supply portion 38 of the dispenser casing 32. . Each of the extension ribs 51 has a hinge pin hole formed through the plate surface so as to be coupled to the hinge pin 63 of the hinge bracket 61. The hinge pin 63 is coupled with a spring 65 for applying an elastic force to the opening and closing cover 45 to block the ice discharge port 33. In the extension ribs 51, an actuating flange portion 53 which interacts with the actuating levers 55, which will be described later, respectively protrudes outward.

On the other hand, the actuating lever 55 has a hinge portion (63) parallel to the hinge pin (63) of the opening / closing cover (45) interposed therebetween, and the acting portion (58) and the pressing plate (56) extending opposite to each other are predetermined. It forms an angle of inclination and is integrally formed. Both rotating pins 59 of the hinge portion 57 are rotatably housed in a rotating pin hole (not shown) formed in the lower portion of the ice discharge port 33 provided in the dispenser casing 32. The acting portion 55 protrudes in the transverse direction in the opening and closing direction of the opening and closing cover 45, the working projection 60 contacting the working flange portion 53 protruding from the opening and closing body 46 of the opening and closing cover 45. Have And the press plate 56 is arrange | positioned at the supply part 38 of the dispenser casing 32, and is exposed to the exterior.

On one side of the action lever 55, an air damper 71 fixed to the damper bracket 81 is disposed in parallel to the opening and closing direction of the opening and closing cover 45. As can be seen in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the air damper 71 includes a damper cylinder 73 having a cylindrical shape, a damper piston 79 and a damper piston slidable in the damper cylinder. The damper connecting rod 74 which slides 79 is comprised large. The damper cylinder 73 is composed of a cylinder body 77 having both sides opened and a cap member 75 sealing one opening of the cylinder body 77.

The cap member 75 is provided with an air suction passage 80 for guiding suction of air into the damper cylinder 73 from the outside. The air suction passage 80 is an outer passage 83 horizontally penetrated to the plate surface from the circumferential one side outer diameter surface of the cap member 75 toward the center, and an inner side bent through the damper cylinder 73 from the center. It has a passage 82. The outer passage 83 is formed in a predetermined length section from the center of the cap member 75 to the outside to allow the flow of the opening and closing port 89 and the outer side of the receiving portion 84 The outer side escape prevention part 85 which prevents an outward departure of the opening and closing hole 89 is provided. As shown in FIG. 9, the inner side passage 82 is provided with the inner side escape prevention part 92 which prevents | deviates inwardly of the opening-closing opening 89. As shown in FIG. The inner departure preventing portion 92 has a short radius portion 95 and a long radius portion 93 that are reduced in diameter with respect to the cross-sectional diameter of the receiving portion 84. The opening and closing port 89 has a predetermined cross-sectional diameter and is movable in the receiving portion. On the other hand, on the inner diameter surface of the outer escape preventing portion 85, a predetermined air outlet portion 97 is formed along the action lever of the air.

The damper piston 79 is slidable while keeping almost airtight with the inner wall surface of the damper cylinder 73. In the central region of the damper piston 79, a fixing groove (not shown) is formed to fix one end of the damper connecting rod 74 so as to be rotatable up and down. In the fixing groove, a horizontal rotating shaft (not shown) is provided to support the damper connecting rod 74 so as to be rotatable vertically. The other end of the damper connecting rod 74 is rotatably fixed to the action pin 91 protruding outward from the action portion 58 of the action lever 55. On the other hand, the damper bracket 81 for fixing the air damper 71 having such a configuration is fixed to the upper region of the supply portion 38 of the dispenser casing (32).

By this configuration, when the pressing plate 56 of the actuating lever 55 is pressed inward, the opening / closing cover 45 in contact with the acting portion 58 of the actuating lever 55 is spaced apart from the ice discharge port 33. Open the opening gradually. Then, the damper connecting rod 74 of the air damper 71 moves along the acting portion 58 of the actuating lever 55, and in conjunction with this, the damper piston 79 also slides along the acting lever 55. do. During the expansion stroke of the damper piston 79, outside air flows in through the air suction passage 80, whereby the opening and closing port 89, as can be seen in Figure 7, the inner departure prevention portion 92 Will block. At this time, the air sucked along the air suction passage 80 is discharged into the damper cylinder 73 through the long radius portion 93 of the inner release preventing portion 92, so that the user can open and close relatively easily with a predetermined pressing force. The cover 45 can be opened. Then, the operation of the ice supply device 21 is started by the detection sensor 95 detecting the opening of the opening and closing cover 45, whereby a predetermined amount of ice dropped from the ice storage container 15 is the ice discharge port ( Through 33).

On the other hand, when the pressurization of the action lever 55 is stopped, the opening and closing cover 45 is rotated to the ice discharge port 33 by the elastic force of the spring (65). Then, the damper piston 79 is slidably moved in the compression direction. At this time, the air in the damper cylinder 73 flows back into the air suction passage 80, whereby the opening and closing port 89 is seen in FIG. As can be, the outer departure preventing portion 85 is sealed. Then, the air from the damper cylinder 73 is discharged to the outside through the fine air outlet 97 formed in the outer departure preventing portion 85, thereby delaying the compression sliding of the damper piston 79, Rotation in the closing direction of the opening / closing cover 45 is delayed.

On the other hand, in the above-described and illustrated embodiment, the air outlet portion 97 is formed in the outer departure preventing portion 85, but the air outlet portion along the sliding direction on the outer diameter surface of the damper piston 79 ( 97).

As described above, according to the present invention, the air damper of the refrigerator dispenser according to the present invention can be easily manufactured at a low price, and in particular, it can be localized to provide an excellent effect of lowering the production cost of the device. .

Claims (6)

An air damper mounted on a dispenser having an opening / closing cover capable of rotating and opening an ice discharge port opened in a refrigerator door, and a working lever rotatable between a position for opening and closing the opening / closing cover, the air damper for delaying rotation of the operating lever. A damper cylinder having a cylindrical shape and having an air suction passage communicating with the inside and the outside on one side; A damper connecting rod for sliding the reciprocating sliding damper piston in the damper cylinder and the damper piston by sliding the damper piston; And an opening / closing means for opening and closing the air suction passage in association with sliding of the damper piston. According to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing means, the opening and closing port having a predetermined cross-sectional diameter that is movably received in the air suction passage; A pair of departure prevention parts provided in the air intake passage so as to face each other with the flow space of the opening and closing, intermittent with the opening and closing to intercept air inflow from the outside; An air outlet allowing the outflow of air in the cylinder; The outer departure preventing portion is a predetermined axis diameter with respect to the reference cross-sectional diameter of the air suction passage, the inner escape prevention portion has a short radius and a long radius portion predetermined diameter with respect to the reference cross-sectional diameter of the air suction passage . The air damper according to claim 2, wherein the outer detachment preventing part is sealed by the opening and closing hole when the damper cylinder is compressed. The air damper according to claim 2, wherein the inner release preventing part is blocked by the opening and closing hole when the damper cylinder is inflated, and allows air to flow into the long radius portion. The air damper according to claim 2, wherein the air outlet part is recessed in at least one inner diameter surface of the outer detachment preventing part. The air damper according to claim 2, wherein the air outlet portion is formed to be recessed inwardly in a sliding direction on at least one outer diameter surface of the damper piston.

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