# US 8,146,379 B2 · Refrigerator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,146,379 B2 - Document ID: US8146379B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/362,591 - Filed: 2009-01-30 - Published: 2009-06-18 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2003-03-28 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Ill-Shin Kim; Seon-Il Yu; Kun-Jun Seok; Yong-Chol Kwon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8146379B2 ## CPC - F25C 1/24: for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays - B67D 1/0858: {using compression systems} - F25C 1/04: by using stationary moulds - F25C 5/185: with freezing trays - F25C 5/22: {particularly adapted for household refrigerators} - F25D 11/022: {with two or more evaporators} - F25D 23/126: {Water cooler} - F25C 2400/10: Refrigerator units - F25C 2400/14: Water supply - F25C 2500/02: Geometry problems - F25D 23/02: Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) - F25D 2323/021: French doors - F25D 2400/06: Refrigerators with a vertical mullion - Y10S 277/921: Closure or weather strip seal - Y10T 29/53: Means to assemble or disassemble - Y10T 137/0318: Processes - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - 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) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract According to one aspect, there is provided a refrigerator including a refrigerating chamber formed at a relatively upper portion of a refrigerator body and a freezing chamber formed at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body, which comprises an ice-making chamber which is partitioned in the refrigerating chamber by insulating walls and includes an icemaker for making ice and an ice storage for storing the ice made in the icemaker. The temperature in the refrigerating chamber can be accurately controlled, the loss of cold air can be minimized and the structures for supplying water into the icemaker and the dispenser can be simplified. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment being configured to maintain operating temperatures that differ, with the freezing compartment having an operating temperature that is lower than an operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment; an ice compartment located within the refrigerating compartment and defined by insulating walls configured to facilitate maintenance of an operating temperature of the ice compartment that is lower than the operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment; an ice maker located within the ice compartment and configured to freeze liquid water into ice, the ice maker being enclosed by the insulating walls of the ice compartment; an ice maker supply conduit configured to guide liquid water to the ice maker, the ice maker supply conduit passing through a surface of a wall of at least one of the refrigerating compartment and the ice compartment; a refrigerator door configured to open and close at least a portion of the refrigerating compartment; an ice discharge duct configured to define a passage through at least a front insulating wall of the insulating walls of the ice compartment, the front insulating wall being closest to the refrigerator door when the refrigerator door is oriented in a closed position; an ice transfer mechanism configured to transfer ice made by the ice maker out of the ice compartment through the passage defined by the ice discharge duct; a dispenser, at least a portion of which being located on the refrigerator door, configured to dispense liquid water; and a dispenser supply conduit that is configured to guide liquid water to the dispenser, the dispenser supply conduit extending from a wall of the refrigerating compartment, passing along a hinge of the refrigerator door, and extending to the dispenser. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through a surface of a wall of the refrigerating compartment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The refrigerator of claim 2 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through a surface of an uppermost wall of the refrigerating compartment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through a surface of a wall of the ice compartment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through a surface of an uppermost wall of the ice compartment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through both a surface of a wall of the refrigerating compartment and a surface of a wall of the ice compartment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through both a surface of an uppermost wall of the refrigerating compartment and a surface of an uppermost wall of the ice compartment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising: a water filter configured to filter water that is guided by the ice maker supply conduit, wherein the ice maker supply conduit extends along a path from an outlet of the water filter to an inlet of the ice maker. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The refrigerator of claim 8 wherein the ice maker supply conduit is a first supply conduit, further comprising: a valve configured to regulate flow of water from the water filter to the first supply conduit; and a second supply conduit extending from the outlet of the water filter to an inlet of the valve, wherein the first supply conduit extends from an outlet of the valve to an inlet of the ice maker. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The refrigerator of claim 8 wherein the water filter is provided at a relatively upper portion of the refrigerating compartment when the refrigerator is oriented in a normal operating orientation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein, when the refrigerator is oriented in a normal operating orientation, the refrigerating compartment is located at a relatively upper portion of a refrigerator body and the freezing compartment is located at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising: a water filter configured to filter liquid water that is guided by the ice maker supply conduit and filter liquid water that is guided by the dispenser supply conduit; an ice maker valve configured to regulate flow of water from the water filter to the ice maker supply conduit; and a dispenser valve configured to regulate flow of water from the water filter to the dispenser supply conduit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the ice maker supply conduit is embedded in an insulating wall of the refrigerating compartment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through a surface of at least one of the insulating walls of the ice compartment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The refrigerator of claim 14 wherein the ice maker supply conduit passes through a surface of an uppermost insulating wall of the ice compartment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising an ice storage bin located within the ice compartment, the ice storage bin being configured to store ice made by the ice maker. ### Claim 17 A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment being configured to maintain operating temperatures that differ, with the freezing compartment having an operating temperature that is lower than an operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment; an ice compartment located within the refrigerating compartment and defined by insulating walls configured to facilitate maintenance of an operating temperature of the ice compartment that is lower than the operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment; an ice maker located within the ice compartment and configured to freeze liquid water into ice, the ice maker being enclosed by the insulating walls of the ice compartment; an ice discharge duct configured to define a passage through at least a front insulating wall of the insulating walls of the ice compartment, the front insulating wall being closest to the refrigerator door when the refrigerator door is oriented in a closed position; and an ice transfer mechanism configured to transfer ice made by the ice maker out of the ice compartment through the passage defined by the ice discharge duct. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The refrigerator of claim 17, wherein the ice discharge duct is configured to selectively open and close. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The refrigerator of claim 17 further comprising: a refrigerator door configured to open and close at least a portion of the refrigerating compartment; and a dispenser that is positioned on the refrigerator door and that is configured to dispense ice made by the ice maker when the refrigerator door is oriented in a closed position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The refrigerator of claim 17 wherein, when the refrigerator is oriented in a normal operating orientation, the refrigerating compartment is located at a relatively upper portion of a refrigerator body and the freezing compartment is located at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body.