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US 12,589,984 B2Granted
Refrigerator having dispenser
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsO Min Kwon, Hyungkyu Park
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator may be provided with a dispenser which includes a nozzle pipe; a light source that radiates ultraviolet light from one end of the nozzle pipe to an inner space of the nozzle pipe, a window that is provided between the one end of the nozzle pipe and the light source, and a liquid supplying hose barb connected to the nozzle pipe via an elbow. Liquid exiting the elbow swirls as ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the liquid.
Claims19
A refrigerator, comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage space;
- and
- a door configured to open or close the storage space, the door having a dispenser, wherein the dispenser comprises:
- a dispenser housing that has a nozzle coupling hole;
- and
- a liquid discharge member configured to couple to the dispenser housing, wherein the liquid discharge member includes:
- a nozzle configured to be inserted into the nozzle coupling hole, the nozzle having a window pocket;
- a window that covers the window pocket;
- an ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) that mounts on a substrate and faces the window wherein the UV LED is configured to sterilize the nozzle;
- a connector disposed on the substrate at a first side of the nozzle;
- a power cable configured to supply power via the connector to the UV LED;
- a liquid-supplying hose barb disposed at a second side of the nozzle and that extends from the nozzle;
- and
- a hose configured to couple to the liquid-supplying hose barb.
11 more elements
A refrigerator, comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage space;
- a door configured to open or close the storage space;
- and
- a dispenser comprising:
- a dispenser housing that has a nozzle coupling hole;
- and
- a liquid discharge apparatus configured to couple to the dispenser housing, wherein the liquid discharge apparatus includes:
- a nozzle configured to be inserted into the nozzle coupling hole, the nozzle having a pocket;
- a window that covers the pocket;
- an ultraviolet (UV) light device disposed on a substrate to face the window, and configured to sterilize the nozzle;
- a substrate base configured to accommodate the substrate, and that extends away from the nozzle in a first direction;
- a connector disposed on the substrate;
- a power supply device configured to supply power via the connector to the UV light device;
- and
- a liquid-supplying connecting pipe that extends away from the nozzle in a second direction, different from the first direction, with the pocket between the liquid-supplying connecting pipe and the substrate base, wherein the nozzle comprises:
- a first end configured to receive liquid;
- a second end configured to discharge the liquid;
- a funnel space at the first end of the nozzle and configured to communicate with the liquid-supplying connecting pipe;
- a cylindrical space disposed at the second end of the nozzle, the cylindrical space being configured to couple to the funnel space;
- and
- at least one laminar flow protrusion that is provided in the cylindrical space, protrudes inward from an inner surface of the cylindrical space toward a center of the cylindrical space, and extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical space.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.