# US 10,119,740 B2 · Refrigerator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,119,740 B2 - Document ID: US10119740B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/455,765 - Filed: 2017-03-10 - Published: 2017-10-12 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-11 - Assignees: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation - Applicants: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation - Inventors: Sung Jin Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119740B2 ## CPC - F25C 1/24: for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays - F25B 5/02: arranged in parallel - F25C 1/10: by using rotating or otherwise moving moulds (F25C1/08 takes precedence) - F25C 1/22: Construction of moulds; Filling devices for moulds - F25C 5/06: by deforming bodies with which the ice is in contact, e.g. using inflatable members - F25C 5/08: by heating bodies in contact with the ice - F25C 5/182: Ice bins therefor - F25C 5/22: {particularly adapted for household refrigerators} - F25B 2600/2511: Evaporator distribution valves - F25C 2400/10: Refrigerator units - F25D 17/04: for circulating air, e.g. by convection - F25D 2323/024: Door hinges - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract A refrigerator includes an ice-making unit disposed in the door and can make ice through direct cooling by a refrigerant without using cold air flow. A cold air generation system operates to circulate the refrigerant for supplying a cold air flow for the refrigerator. A refrigerant pipe is installed in the refrigerator main body to branch off some refrigerant from the cold air generation system. An ice-making pipe is installed within the ice-making unit and receives the refrigerant from the refrigerant pipe. Water freezes into ice through heat transfer between the ice-making unit and the ice-making pipe containing refrigerant. A soft pipe is disposed around a hinge shaft of the refrigerator main body and the door and configured to interconnect the ice-making pipe and the refrigerant pipe in a twistable manner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: an ice-making unit configured to receive water; a cold air generation system configured to circulate a refrigerant and produce cold air through heat exchange between the refrigerant and air in the refrigerator; an ice-making pipe disposed proximate to the ice-making unit so that the ice-making unit exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing in the ice-making pipe, wherein a part of the ice-making pipe is installed within the ice-making unit; a refrigerator main body serving as a housing of the refrigerator; a door coupled to the refrigerator main body, wherein the ice-making unit is disposed in the door; a refrigerant pipe installed in the refrigerator main body, wherein the refrigerant pipe is configured to receive the refrigerant from the cold air generation system, and a soft pipe disposed around a hinge shaft that couples the refrigerator main body and the door, wherein the soft pipe is a bellows pipe, which is fastened to an end portion of the ice-making pipe and an end portion of the refrigerant pipe by bolts and extends along an up-down axis of the door to withstand twisting deformation around the hinge shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant in the ice-making pipe is operable to exchange heat with the ice-making unit directly without using air as an intermediate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice-making pipe directly contacts the ice-making unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant pipe is branched from the cold air generation system, and wherein the end portion of the refrigerant pipe is horizontally installed in a top wall of the refrigerator main body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cold air generation system comprises: an evaporator; a compressor; a condenser; and an expansion valve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice-making unit comprises: an ice-making compartment configured to provide an ice-making space; an ice-making tray directly contacting the ice-making pipe; and an ice bucket positioned under the ice-making tray and configured to store ice pieces. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the ice-making unit further includes a heater disposed in a peripheral edge portion of the ice-making tray. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising: a pipe case configured to cover the end portion of the refrigerant pipe. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the soft pipe is formed in a four-layer structure including an outer rubber layer, a reinforcing layer, an inner rubber layer and a resin layer. ### Claim 10 A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator main body defining an outer body of the refrigerator; a door coupled to the refrigerator main body; an ice-making unit disposed in the door; a cold air generation system configured to circulate a refrigerant and produce a cold air flow for circulation in the refrigerator; an ice-making pipe having a part installed within the ice-making unit so that the ice-making unit exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing in the ice-making pipe; a refrigerant pipe branched from the cold air generation system, and configured to supply the refrigerant to the ice-making pipe; and a soft pipe disposed around a hinge shaft that couples the refrigerator main body and the door, wherein the soft pipe is a bellows pipe, which is fastened to an end portion of the ice-making pipe and an end portion of the refrigerant pipe by bolts and extends along an up-down axis of the door to withstand twisting deformation around the hinge shaft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the end portion of the refrigerant pipe is horizontally installed in a top wall of the refrigerator main body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the ice-making unit comprises an ice-making compartment configured to provide an ice-making space; an ice-making tray configured to contact the ice-making pipe; and an ice bucket positioned under the ice-making tray to store ice pieces. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the soft pipe is formed in a four-layer structure including an outer rubber layer, a reinforcing layer, an inner rubber layer and a resin layer.